The Woman Owned Small Business Program (WOSB) is designed to authorize government contracting officers to set aside certain requirements for competition solely among WOSBs. This set-aside, according to the Small Business Administration, is equal to about 5 percent of all government contracts, or roughly $30 billion each year.
What kind of contracts are “set aside” or earmarked for WOSBs?
Between September 1, 2015 and September 15, 2015, the Department of the Army released several solicitations on which only qualified WOSBs could bid. These solicitations for bids ran the gamut, from providing it with office and living room furniture (which were separate solicitations); a GRACO Linelazer IV; and new mother fitness training, to providing it with thermal target replacement part; refuse collection and disposal in Lake Georgetown and Granger Lake in Texas; and contractors to work as dining hall attendants.
And that’s just the Army.
In this same time period, the Department of the Treasury solicited for a WOSB to commit to pickup, destroy, and dispose of sensitive but unclassified materials; the Department of the Veterans Affairs sought a WOSB to provide mail pre-sorting services at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center; and the Department of the Air Force sought a WOSB to provide hood and duct cleaning services.
Altogether, federal and government agencies released 57 solicitations on which only WOSBs could bid, between September 1, 2015 and September 15, 2015, which translates into hundreds of thousands of dollars of available contracting business.
To qualify as a WOSB, the business must be considered a small business (as defined by the business’ applicable NAICS code) and at least 51 percent directly owned and controlled by one or more women who are U.S. citizens.
There are 83 industries eligible for WOSB Set-Aside Contracts. The NAICS codes for and descriptions of these industries follow:
NAICS Code NAICS Description
2213 Water, Sewage and Other systems
2372 Land Subdivision
2361 Residential Building Construction
3152 Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing
2371 Utility System Construction
3231 Printing and Related Support Activities
2381 Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors
3259 Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing
2382 Building Equipment Contractors
3328 Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities
2383 Building Finishing Contractors
3329 Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
2389 Other Specialty Trade Contractors
3371 Household & Institutional Furniture & Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturing
3149 Other Textile Product Mills
3372 Office Furniture (including Fixtures) Manufacturing
3159 Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing
3391 Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing
3219 Other Wood Product Manufacturing
4841 General Freight Trucking
3222 Converted Paper Product Manufacturing
4889 Other Support Activities for Transportation
3321 Forging and Stamping
4931 Warehousing and Storage
3323 Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing
5111 Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers
3324 Boiler, Tank, and Shipping Container Manufacturing
5112 Software Publishers
3333 Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing
5171 Wired Telecommunications Carriers
3342 Communications Equipment Manufacturing
5172 Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite)
3345 Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, & Control Instruments Manufacturing
5179 Other Telecommunications
3346 Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media
5182 Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services
3353 Electrical Equipment Manufacturing
5191 Other Information Services
3359 Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing
5312 Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers
3369 Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
5324 Commercial & Industrial Machinery & Equipment Rental & Leasing
4842 Specialized Freight Trucking
5411 Legal Services
4881 Support Activities for Air Transportation
5412 Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, & Payroll Services
4884 Support Activities for Road Transportation
5417 Scientific Research and Development Services
4885 Freight Transportation Arrangement
5418 Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services
5121 Motion Picture and Video Industries
5615 Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services
5311 Lessors of Real Estate
5619 Other Support Services
5413 Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
5621 Waste Collection
5414 Specialized Design Services
5622 Waste Treatment and Disposal
5415 Computer Systems Design and Related Services
6114 Business Schools and Computer and Management Training
5416 Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
6115 Technical and Trade Schools
5419 Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
6117 Educational Support Services
5611 Office Administrative Services
6242 Community Food and Housing, and Emergency & Other Relief Services
5612 Facilities Support Services
6243 Vocational Rehabilitation Services
5614 Business Support Services
7211 Traveler Accommodation
5616 Investigation and Security Services
8112 Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance
5617 Services to Buildings and Dwellings
8129 Other Personal Services
6116 Other Schools and Instruction
8139 Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations
6214 Outpatient Care Centers
6219 Other Ambulatory Health Care Services
7115 Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers
7223 Special Food Services
8111 Automotive Repair and Maintenance
8113 Commercial & Industrial Machinery & Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair & Maintenance
8114 Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance
Of course, to bid on a WOSB set-aside contract, and other contracts, you not only must be certified as a WOSB, but you also must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM).
With the registration and verification process time-consuming and often confusing, US Federal Contractor Registration is here to help.
We file on behalf of our client WOSBs the paperwork necessary to complete its registration and quality if to bid on WOSB set-aside contracts. We also can complete a client’s SAM registration.
If you are interested in starting the WOSB registration process for your business, please call on one our of placement and acquisition specialists at 877-252-2700 ext. 1.
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