Know About The WOSB Application Precisely To Obtain The Certification

 The government of the United States has developed a special program which is known as Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB). The program has been developed to encourage and empower female business owners in the United States. 

The WOSB program is designed with certain goals by the federal government. The goal is to award a minimum of 5% of all the federal contracting dollars to businesswomen every year. The WOSB program specifically concentrates on women who are in an economically disadvantaged position. 

Note that if a woman qualifies EDWOSB then she will automatically qualify as a WOSB. EDWOSB is a subset of WOSB. The WOSB program is run by the Small Business Administration (SBA) of the United States. The WOSB program will not be able to benefit you if your industry NAICS code is not listed. Remember there is no additional cost to add to the WOSB. People who are eligible for the WBE can only obtain WOSB certification. You will need to complete a WOSB application as well. 

So if you are willing to get your business registered with the WOSB then you have to the right place to gather necessary information. In this blog, we are going to explain the WOSB application process to help you get WOSB certification. Now it is time to understand all the important elements in the WOSB application process. 

Know the types of certifications 

You will need to determine a suitable certification option for your business. There are two types of certification and these are:

Self-certification

Third-party certification

Know the process of Women-Owned Small Business registration 

The process of WOSB registration is quite lengthy and that is why we have broken down into steps. There are three simple stages that you will need to complete properly. The information regarding the process will help the readers to understand in a better way. 

Choose a suitable certification 

The women who have economically disadvantages and runs small businesses can get help from the Small Business Administration (SBA). The main purpose is to make all these businesses recognized when they bid to obtain any type of government contract. Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and The National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC) are the two major players in getting certified. These two players offer a woman’s business WBE certification. WOSB certification is needed for getting into the federal government programs. The WOSB program limits certified organizations to specific NAICS codes whereas the WBE does not put limitations. In most private companies and a few municipalities the WBE designation is accepted. On the other side, the WOSB certification is required for small businesses to participate in the federal programs. So decide a certification carefully. 

Apply for the certification 

You can get your WOSB application process done by filling out the form for WOSB certification. This particular form is available on the Small Business Administration (SBA) website. There are four organizations that are approved by the Small Business Administration (SBA). These organizations certify women-owned small businesses in the United States. The organizations are mentioned below:

The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.

The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce.

The El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The National Women Business Owners Corporation.

Register your entity with the System for Award Management 

Along with registering your entity with a WOSB certification, you will also need to get registered with the System for Award Management (SAM). It is for making your business eligible for obtaining government contracts. 

Know the self-certification process 

Focus on the technical aspects.

Register your entity with the System for Award Management (SAM).

Register at the SBA website to complete the self-certification process. 

Get a DUNS number for your business.

You will need to have EIN and MPIN.

Know the third-party certification 

To help you get the WOSB certification for your business enlist the services of a third-party agency. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has a list of third-party organizations. These organizations are approved for helping applicants to receive WOSB certification. These include organizations such as,

The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, 

The National Women Business Owners Corporation, and 

The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce. 

Being an applicant you should contact any of these organizations for obtaining the WOSB certification through the systematic procedure. Remember that all of these organizations charge an amount of fee for assisting you to complete your WOSB certification application. They also charge a fee for handling your annual renewal. 

Conclusion 

You can opt for WOSB certification through the self-certification method or you can obtain the WOSB certification through a third-party organization. After receiving a certification you will need to focus on other requirements of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to participate in the WOSB federal contracting program. So wait no further and obtain a WOSB certification and grow your business rapidly.