Veteran-Owned Business Registration

Prequalifications

• To get the most out of your status as a veteran-owned business, you should first become qualified as a federal contractor. To do so, you will need to obtain a DUNS number through Dun and Bradstreet, register with the Central Contractor Registry and complete your registration with the Online Representations and Certifications Application, or ORCA.
  
  

Gathering Documents

• If you want to register as a veteran-owned business, you will need to obtain your DD-214, or Certificate of Discharge from Active Duty, which will characterize your discharge as honorable or under honorable conditions. A general discharge will not qualify you for the program. You will also need to to submit evidence that you are in business and of your ownership in the business, such as your articles of incorporation or organization listing you as a shareholder or member of your limited liability company. To qualify, veterans must own not less than a 51 percent interest in the company.
  
  

Service-Disabled Veterans

• Service-disabled veterans receive the most favorable set-aside and preference terms in federal contracting. To qualify, you must be able to document your disability as well as the fact that it was service-connected. You should be prepared to submit Department of Veterans Affairs disability certifying letter verifying your disability and percentage. Alternatively, you could submit a disability determination letter from the Department of Defense.
  
  

VetBiz

• Once you have registered as a contractor with the government, you can register as a veteran-owned business with the Department of Veterans Affairs. See Resources for the link. Go through the link and follow the prompts. Answer the questions it asks about your business and background.