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What opportunities are available to MBEs who are Veterans?
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Posted On: Wednesday December 31st, 2003 at 12:00am EST
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Many minority group individuals have served America in the armed forces, and are eligible to take advantage of programs and services for veterans and service-disabled veterans. In 1999, the law expanded the eligibility for certain small business assistance programs, including those administered by SBA, to include veterans, and directed Federal departments and agencies establish and achieve a participation goal of 3% of the total value of all prime contract and sub-contract awards for each fiscal year for small businesses owned and controlled by veterans with service-connected disabilities.
There are no set-aside programs for veterans. There is, however, a 3% Federal prime contract and 3% subcontracting goal for all Federal agencies to achieve that applies to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. The 3 % contract goal for Federal agencies applies only to service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, not veteran-owned small businesses. According to the law, a concern owned and controlled by veterans or service-disabled veterans is a small business concern which is at least 51 percent owned by one or more veterans or service-disabled veterans; or, in the case of any publicly owned business, at least 51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more veterans or service-disabled veterans; and, whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more veterans or service-disabled veterans or, in the case of a veteran with permanent and severe disability, the spouse or permanent care-giver of such veteran.
There is no certification process for veterans.
A veteran or a service-disabled veteran self certifies his/her veteran status when he/she registers on PRO-Net and when responding to a government solicitation. Proof of being a service-disabled veteran can be evidenced by a DD Form 214 and a Veteran’s Administration certified letter as to disability.
It is very important to note that Federal buyers can receive credit toward their veteran-owned small business goals by utilizing a small veteran-owned business that is also a GSA schedule holder. Thus, an MBE who is a veteran should very seriously consider obtaining a schedule contract and aggressively marketing federal purchasers for issuances of task orders against their schedules. |
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