• The applicant company must be “small” in its primary industry in accordance with SBA’s size standards for that industry, as identified in 13 CFR 127. Please view the listing of NAICS and their size standards for verification.
• The applicant company must be at least fifty-one percent (51%) unconditionally and directly owned and controlled by one or more women who are U.S. citizens.
  Management and daily operation must be controlled by one or more of the women owners.
• The women owners must make long-term decisions for the business.
• One of the criteria below must also be true for CORPORATIONS ONLY:
  • Women must make up a majority of the Board of Directors OR have a majority of the Board votes through weighted voting.
  • Women must make up 51% of the voting power, sit on the Board AND have enough voting power to overcome any supermajority requirement.
• WBENC uses a two part process to ensure that the applicant company meets the WBENC WOSB Standards. This will include a thorough review of the documentation presented and a site visit interview with the female owner/s.
• Please review the WOSB site as a resource for requirements associated with the program.
• View a comprehensive listing of the WOSB Program NAICS Codes.

NOTE: If the applicant company is currently debarred or suspended from Federal Government Contracting, the company is not eligible for WOSB certification.

Additional Requirements

• Applicant must be registered in SAM* (System for Award Management)
  • The Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) is required for completion of the WOSB Certification application, which is issued by www.sam.gov
• *NOTE: There is NO FEE for the SAM registration. Please ensure the correct site is accessed: www.sam.gov.
• If you are experiencing difficulty registering in SAM, see supplemental instructions.

WOSB Federal Contracting Eligibility 

• The federal government may restrict competition under the WOSB Program only in certain industries. 13 C.F.R. 127.500.
• SBA has designated those industries applicable to the WOSB Program by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code.
• If any NAICS code, listed on your WOSB certificate, appears as a WOSB code on the NAICS listing for the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program set asides, you are ELIGIBLE.
• View the list of NAICS codes.