Optional Certifications for Contracting

Government Contracting: Lesson 3

East Tennessee PTAC counselor, Jutta Bang, discusses optional certifications for contracting.

Topics:

Test Your Knowledge

To receive credit for taking this course through TSBDC, watch the video and take the quiz that will appear below to demonstrate your knowledge.

Download a Printable Version

View As Presentation

Video Lesson Topics

- Government Small Business Contracting Goals

The government has small business contracting goals for all agencies.

23% for small businesses
5% for women owned businesses
5% for small, disadvantaged businesses
3% for service disabled veteran-owned businesses
3% for HUBZone businesses

- Go-DBE

Tennessee offers various certifications for small, minority-owned, women-owned, service disabled veteran-owned, and person with disabilities owned businesses. These certifications are done through the Governor’s Office of Diversity Business Enterprise (Go-DBE). There are also self certifications and specialty certifications at the federal level.

- Federal Contracts

To figure out your eligibility for federal contracts, you can register in the system for award management (SAM). In order to be eligible, you must self-certify that you are a small business or a small disadvantaged business (SDB). An SBD must show social and economic disadvantage. Some certifications that can be applied for with the US Small Business Administration are for:

WOSB (Women Owned Small Business)
EDWOSB (Economically Disadvantaged Women Owned Small Business)
Service Disabled Veterans
8A (Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Businesses)
HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zones)

Topics & Lessons

Each Below Topic Contains a Video Lesson and Helpful Downloadable Information