Overview of Women Owned & Economically Disadvantaged Women Owned Small Business Certification

The Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB) certification is available for qualified woman owned small businesses through the Small Business Administration’s (SBA), Woman-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program.

The WOSB certification was designed to help level the playing field for women business owners, specifically creating contracts set-aside for those industries that are underrepresented by women. Some contracts are restricted further to Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Businesses (EDWOSB). To become WOSB/EDWOSB certified, the SBA requires qualified WOSB/EDWOSB to apply through the SBA certification website beta.certify.gov

Interested in this webinar but don’t know if the WOSB is right for you? The full eligibility requirements for WOSB and EDWOSB are outlined here: Title 13 Part 127 Subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The following are the minimum eligibility requirements:

To be eligible as a WOSB, your business must:

• Be a small business as indicated by the NAICS size standard chart
• Be at least 51% owned and controlled by women who are U.S. citizens
• Women must manage the day-to-day operations and make long-term decisions

To be eligible as an EDWOSB, your business must:

• Meet all the requirements of the women’s contracting program
• Be owned and controlled by one or more women, each with a personal net worth less than $750,000
• Be owned and controlled by one or more women, each with $350,000 or less in adjusted gross income averaged over the previous three years
• Be owned and controlled by one or more women, each $6 million or less in personal assets

Topics covered:

• WOSB/EDWOSB overview
• Program benefits
• Program requirements
• Path to certification
• Timeline to certification
• Maintaining certification

Nanci R. Pigeon,

Procurement Specialist

Norcal APEX Accelerator

Nanci Pigeon has over 22 years’ experience in the Department of Defense and federal contracting. She began her contracting career as an active duty Air Force enlisted member and upon retirement from active duty, she transitioned to the federal contracting workforce. In her federal contracting career, Nanci has worked as a Contract Specialist, Contracting Officer, Procurement Analyst and Small Business Specialist with the Department of the Air Force, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation. Upon her retirement from the federal contracting workforce, Nanci decided to provide her expertise in government contracting to small businesses by becoming a PTAC counselor.

Nanci specializes in federal contracting, registrations, and certifications. She is also well versed in California State registration and certification, as well as California Multiple Award Schedules (CMAS). Nanci enjoys working with each Norcal PTAC client individually and developing a specific course of action to help the client achieve their government contracting goals.

Nanci has a BS in Management from Park University and an MS from the Air Force Institute of Technology in Strategic Purchasing. She is also a Certified Federal Contract Manager (CFCM) through the National Contract Management Association and maintains a Level III Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C).

Norcal APEX Accelerator

Northern California APEX Accelerator is a government-funded nonprofit formed to help small businesses find, bid on, and win contracts with federal, state, local, and tribal agencies.

West Business Development Center

www.westcenter.org/

West Business Development Center is a nonprofit, business development organization providing no cost business advisory services and workshops to rising entrepreneurs and existing small business owners who want to grow their business and create jobs in their communities. With a focus on startup planning, capital infusion, financial literacy and digital marketing, we help business owners succeed in business.