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WVOSBI

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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CELEBRATES WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH - CLICK HERE to READ MORE

OFFICE OF SMALL AND DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS UTILIZATION (OSDBU) COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND WOMEN VETERANS IN BUSINESS

The signing of Executive Order (EO) 13985 marked a historic commitment by the Federal Government to advance racial equity and support underserved communities. According to a White House fact sheet, ”the Federal Government is the largest consumer of goods in the world, buying everything from software to elevator services to financial and asset management. Federal procurement is one of our most powerful tools to advance equity and build wealth in underserved communities.” “And yet, just roughly 10% of Federal agencies’ total eligible contracting dollars typically go to small disadvantaged businesses, a category under Federal law for which Black-owned, Latino-owned, and other minority-owned businesses are presumed to qualify.”

Areas that Benefit Woman Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (WVOSB) Directly

What It Means

  • $100B projected increase in Government spending with small and disadvantaged businesses.
  • $31B in new spending on small business programs aimed at providing access to capital.
New Actions to Build Black Wealth and Narrow the Racial Wealth Gap

Why That Matters

99.9% Of all of America’s 2.52 million Veteran minority-owned businesses classify as small business.(smallbiztreds.com)

OSDBU’S COMMITMENT

Since the inception of OSDBU’s Women Veteran-Owned Small Business Initiative (WVOSBI) in 2019, WVOSBI has focused on giving opportunities to women Veterans by providing programming and access to economic opportunities. WVOSBI is committed to fostering diversity and promoting minority and women Veterans in business. WVOSBI work to enable women Veterans by connecting them to networking and collaborative opportunities with Federal agencies, commercial, non-profits, and educational entities. Executive Order (EO) 13985 will also help OSDBU to reach its goal of increasing WVOSBs participation as prime vendors to a level of at least 5%.

Women Veteran-Owned Businesses

“The Super-Market. We are the greatest, richest, untapped, underutilized, market in the Nation.”

- Michelle “GI” Gardner-Ince - Director of WVOSBI, on women Veteran businesses.
  • Within 1 year of the date of this order, the head of each agency shall consult with the APDP and the Director of OMB to produce a plan for addressing:
    • 3.3% women Veteran’s business have employees.
    • 30k women Veterans’ transition from military service each year.
    • 48% of women Veteran are minority.
    • 50% all new businesses are women-owned.
      • 20% of that are Veteran business are minority owned.
        • 15% of women owned.
    • 20% of Veteran business are minority owned.
    • 5x growth in women business in the national average.
    • 295% growth in women Veteran businesses overall since 2012.
    • For every $1.00 a non-Veteran man makes women veterans make $0.37.
    • For every $1.00 a non-Veteran woman makes a woman Veteran makes $0.32.

How this benefits Minority Women Veteran-Owned Business at OSDBU

Women are the fastest growing cohort within the Veteran community, and 48% of Veteran women belong to a minority group. Women Veterans who can classify as minorities have more opportunities available to them through additional Government set-asides. As almost half of the women Veteran-owned businesses are minorities, racial equity in procurement will yield enhanced business opportunities for minority women Veteran-owned businesses.

EO 13985 is aimed at eliminating barriers identified in Federal contracting and procurement opportunities for members of underserved communities. As a result, members of these groups involved with Federal contracting should expect new policies that more closely reflect the commitment of the Biden administration to rectify those barriers to entry.

When starting your own business, doing market research and assessing your location are critical. Market research allows companies to learn what opportunities are available by determining which areas are more utilized by the federal government. Certain regions in the U.S. are Veteran-centric and which, in the interim more funded by congress. These target markets and regions are where VA spends the majority of its capital. Targeting these markets strengthens the chances of success and long-term growth.

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WHAT'S HAPPENING AT WVSOBI?
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Hours: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. (EST)

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Please note: Content on this Web page is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide legal advice or to be a comprehensive statement or analysis of application statures, regulations, and case law governing this topic. Rather, it's a plain language summary. If you are seeking claims assistance, your local VA regional office, a VA-recognized Veterans Service Organization, or a VA-accredited attorney or agent can help.