The Center for Veterans Enterprise Web Portal

Verification of Veteran-Owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses per Public Law (P.L.) 109-461

Important notice regarding On-Site Examinations:

The Code of Federal Regulations, Part 38 Paragraph 74, authorizes the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) to examine ownership and control records to verify that the businesses registered in VetBiz Vendor Information Pages (VIP) database are eligible to participate in VA's buying authority established under Public Law (P.L.) 109-461, Section 502 and 503.

CVE has started conducting the onsite examinations of those companies that have applied to be verified as veteran-owned or service-disabled veteran-owned. Applicant companies should be prepared for a team of one or more examiners to visit their company to examine the necessary documents and records. The Team Leader will have a VA identification badge and a letter of introduction signed by the Director, CVE.

If you have applied for verification by submitting a VA Form 0877, but you or your company do not wish to participate in this onsite examination, you must officially notify CVE, by e-mail, stating that your company is withdrawing its application for verification. The email must state the company name to be withdrawn, and be sent and signed by the Applicant Company's majority owner.

Should you have any questions about this lawful authorization for CVE's agents to examine your records, please feel free to contact CVE at (866) 584-2344, or (202) 303-3260.

Verification Program :

VA has unique buying authority (P.L. 109-461) that enables our personnel to set-aside requirements for Veteran-owned small businesses. This legislation also provides VA teams with more latitude in non-competitive contracting. Some businesses owned by surviving spouses are also eligible for the Verification Program. Under this unique buying authority, VA’s large prime contractors are required to use businesses that have been officially verified for ownership and control.

The new Verification Guidelines were published in the Federal Register on May 19, 2008. The Verification Guidelines were published as an Interim Final Rule (IFR).

To review the Verification Guidelines, please click here:

We are currently operating under Information Letter 049-07-08 issued on June 19, 2007, until VA’s changes to the VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) have been published as a Final Rule. At that point in time, the VAAR rule will indicate the policy for future contracting with VA.

Procurement provisions contained in Section 8127 of Title 38, U.S.Code, as amended by P.L. 109-461, provide Veteran-owned and service-disabled Veteran-owned small businesses (VOSBs and SDVOSBs) an option when registering their businesses in VIP: be verified for ownership and control or self-represent.

Businesses wishing to benefit from VA’s unique Veterans First Contracting Program under Section 8127 must agree to be verified. There are many benefits to having your business verified as a VOSB or SDVOSB. As a verified VOSB or SDVOSB, you will have the opportunity to compete for VA contracts under the Veterans First Contracting Program. The benefits of the program are listed below:

Benefits of Veterans First Contracting Program

1.Redefines priorities for contracting preferences within VA, placing SDVOSBs and VOSBs first and second, respectively, in satisfying VA’s acquisition requirements.

2. Allows sole source contracts over the Simplified Acquisition Threshold up to $5,000,000 (including options). 3. Implements restricted competition via Set-Aside Procedures for each category of SDVOSBs and VOSBs. 4. Allows additional credit evaluation factors for SDVOSB or VOSB status. 5. Authorizes large VA prime contractors to obtain subcontracting credit for SDVOSBs and VOSBs only when they subcontract with verified firms in VIP.

Participation in the Verification Program is voluntary. However, to be eligible to participate in requirements conducted under the authority of Public Law 109-461, businesses must be verified. VA reserves the right to conduct examination visits of businesses participating in the Verification Program. Misrepresentation of status shall initiate debarment action by VA officials. Verified businesses will be annotated in the database and will receive the rights to display the Verified logo in their marketing materials. The verified status is for a period of one year, after which the business will need to renew its Verification.

To be included in this program click here.

How to order additional SDVOSB and VOSB Lapel Pins

Any CVE Verified business can order additional lapel pins by following the below procedures: The Veteran business owner will call Mr. Anthony "Tony" Shinkle from the Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) Central Office, Retail Operations, located in St. Louis, MO (314-845-1293) to place an order for additional pins. Mr. Shinkle will provide details on the cost and timeline for the orders.

Self-representation :

SDVOSBs and VOSBs may continue to self-represent their status for all other requirements. However, they are encouraged to have their business verified, as other Federal agencies will have access to the database to search for verified businesses to meet their Federal procurement goals.

Businesses wishing to sell to all Federal agencies and to other businesses may self-represent their status by answering the five gateway questions on the qualification page to ensure their eligibility as a Veteran, as a service-disabled Veteran (if applicable), that the business is at least 51% owned and controlled by Veteran(s) or service-disabled Veteran(s) and that the business meets Federal small business size standards. However, companies using this status will not be eligible for benefits under PL 109-461.

Additional Information

Verification Process

Request Market Research

Ordering Lapel Pins

Update Business Profile

VIP FAQs

The Vendor Information Pages Database is the only Federally controlled database in which a legal verification process is used to determine service disabled or veteran status of a small business. All companies participating in the Veterans First program under PL 109-461 are required to submit evidence of ownership / control and veteran status before being awarded a VA contract under the set-aside authority.

USEFUL FILES

VetBiz Application Form ][ VetBiz Start-Up Quiz

Please send VetBizCentral "Application" & "Quiz" to:
E-Mail: info@vetbizcentral.org or
FAX: (810) 767-8662 or
Mail: VetBizCentral
711 N. Saginaw St.
Suite 206
Flint, MI 48503

SDVOB Application Form ][ Lost DD-214 Dept. of Veteran Affairs Locator