VA to Verify Vet-Owned Small Businesses
The Department of Veterans announced Monday its intention to begin requiring veteran-owned small businesses to verify their vet-owned status to gain priority for certain VA contracts and maintain their eligibility for exclusive set-aside contracts. More than 13,000 veteran-owned businesses were contacted by e-mail in December to notify them of the requirement. The businesses have 90 days from the date of notification to provide specific business documentation to confirm their status.
“VA is committed to doing business with as well as supporting and protecting veteran-owned small businesses,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki in a VA press release. “Although the verification process may initially be a challenge to some small business owners and to VA, it’s a necessary step to eliminate misrepresentation by firms trying to receive contracts that should go to service-disabled and other veteran-owned vendors.”
The expanded verification process was among the requirements set forth in the Veterans Benefits Act of 2010, which was signed by President Barack Obama in October. Companies seeking preference for VA contracts must provide the required documentation to be listed in the VA’s VetBiz.gov “Vendor Information Pages” (VIP) database. According to the VA press release, priority processing will be given to those veteran-owned firms that are in line to receive a set-aside contract from VA, those that already conduct business with VA and those that have already filed an application for verification.
Read the press release in its entirety at the VA website.
