If you’re a female entrepreneur interested in taking on a government contract, the SBA has recently earmarked some contracts just for you under the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program.
What this means is that federal agencies are now permitted to restrict competition for a particular set of government contract and direct them exclusively at women’s businesses.
Qualifications include that the woman own at least 51% of the business interest, must be a US citizen and she must hold the highest title in the business. A certification process is necessary as well in an effort to prove that the business is unequivocally owned by a woman.
An approved third party can give certification to the woman-owned business or self-certification is possible. Since the government, though, has only just begun proceedings of compiling the list of approved third party certifiers, most women-owned businesses will need to self-certify.
To self-certify, a business must provide: a signed Program Certification Form, organizational documents including articles of incorporation and the woman owner’s birth certificate.
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