Background

The Department of Navy is committed to providing assistance to Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs) to meet their needs in doing business with the Navy. The Navy Small Business Program Office is determined to reach its goal in helping the WOSBs to obtain prime contract and subcontracting awards. WOSB community is breaking new ground varies areas and are an integral part in the Navy’s continuous effort in supporting our War Fighter with effective and innovative products and services while they are serving to protect our homeland.

Definition
As defined in the Federal Acquisition Regulation, paragraph 2.101,
"Women-owned small business concern means a small business concern- (1) That is at least 51 percent owned by one or more women; or, in the case of any publicly owned business, at least 51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more women; and (2) Whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more women."

Related Links

Government Sites

Contract Assistance to Women Business Owners (CAWBO) Program

The Women-Owned Business Procurement Pilot Program is an aggressive initiative to assist in achievement of a five percent government-wide goal for contract awards to small women-owned businesses. This program aims to develop meaningful cooperation between SBA programs and other federal agencies to ensure this goal.

A major goal of the program is to expand the available pool of women-owned firms, as well as awareness of them, within the federal procurement community. Through the pilot, the SBA pursues extensive outreach to alert women-owned businesses to the opportunities in federal procurement.

Department of Defense Women-Owned Business Page

The focus of the DoD WOSB program is the provision of effective outreach, training and technical assistance in order to increase the accessibility of WOSB concerns to DoD procurement opportunities.

National Women Business Council

NWBC is a bi-partisan federal advisory council that advises the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration on issues of importance to women business owners.

info@nwbc.gov

Office of Women Business Ownership (OWBO)

This office offers women business owners programs and services in the following areas: pre-business workshops; technical, financial, and management information; information on selling to the federal government; access to capital; small loan programs; Women's Network for Entrepreneurial Training (WNET); free Woman's Business Ownership Kit.

Small Business Administration’s Online Women’s Business Center
(Office of Women’s Business Ownership)

The SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership promotes the growth of women-owned businesses through programs that address business training and technical assistance and provide access to credit and capital, federal contracts, and international trade opportunities.

owbo@sba.gov

Women-21.gov

This site, created jointly by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Small Business Administration, is a federal resource for targeted information, registration for online programs, and networking opportunities to help women entrepreneurs navigate the ever-changing business world.

Womenbiz.gov

This site walks female business owners through five steps to exploring contracting opportunities with the federal government.

Women's Business Associations and Organizations

American Business Women's Association (ABWA )

This association provides training on career management and leadership development to businesswomen in diverse occupations.

abwa@abwa.org

Association for Women in Management

AWM supports research and education to further the acceptance of women in management positions.

awm@benefits.net

Association of Women Professionals

An association for professional women in business.

awoman@bizland.com

Business and Professional Women, USA

BPW promotes equity for all women in the workplace through advocacy, education, and information.

memberservices@bpwusa.com

Catalyst Women

Catalyst is a non-profit research and advisory organization working to advance women in business.

info@catalystwomen.org

Executive Women International

This organization provides networking and leadership development opportunities to businesswomen and their firms.

ewi@executivewomen.org

Federally Employed Women

FEW is a non-profit organization that works to improve the status of women employed by the federal government.

few@few.org

Ms Foundation - The National Women's Fund

An organization that provides training, grant making, and education to improve economic opportunities for women.

info@ms.foundation.org

National Association of Female Executives (NAFE)

NAFE is the largest women’s professional association and the largest women business owners’ organization in the country. The organization provides education, networking, and advocacy to help members with their careers and their financial security.

nafe@nafe.com

National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)

NAWBO is a national organization for women entrepreneurs who own businesses of varying sizes and are involved in many different industries.

national@nawbo.org

National Education Center for Women in Business

This center aims to strengthen the economic impact of women business owners as a collective force and to advance their growth through innovative programming in entrepreneurship and new venture creation.

info@setonhill.edu

National Women Business Owners Corporation

NWBOC is a sister organization to the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and the Center for Women’s Business Research (CWBR) that offers a national certification program for women-owned businesses as an alternative to the local and state certifications required by many public and private sector agencies.

info@nwboc.org

Organization of Women in International Trade

OWIT is a non-profit professional organization that encourages women to do business in international trade by providing networking and educational opportunities.

The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)

SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" is a nonprofit association that provides entrepreneurs with free, confidential face-to-face and email business counseling. Counseling and workshops are offered at 389 chapter offices nationwide by volunteers who are experienced entrepreneurs or corporate managers/executives. SCORE has numerous resources available to women business owners, including free mentoring and counseling, workshops and seminars developed for women entrepreneurs.

U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce

As the leading advocate for women on economic and leadership issues, the USWCC is creating economic and leadership opportunities for women by building a strong community voice, lobbying for you, and providing programs and benefits to support the growth of our women across America.

Women's Business Development Center

An organization that provides support for prospective, emerging and established women business owners.

wbdc@wbdc.org

Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)

WBENC is an advocate of women-owned businesses as suppliers to America’s corporations. The organization also certifies American businesses owned and operated by women.

bfernandez@wbenc.org

Women's Global Business Alliance – Peer Counsel

The Women’s Global Business Alliance - Peer Counsel is a member-based organization for senior-level executive women worldwide.

administration@wgba-business.com

Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP)

WIPP is a national bi-partisan public policy organization that advocates for and on behalf of women in business, strengthening their sphere of influence in the legislative process of our nation, creating economic opportunities and building bridges and alliances to other small business organizations.

Women Presidents' Organization

WPO is a non-profit membership organization for women presidents who have grown their businesses to earn at least $2 million in gross annual sales (or $1 million for service-based businesses).

info@womenpresidentsorg.com

Women Work!

Women Work! Is a membership organization dedicated to helping women achieve economic self-sufficiency through job readiness, education, and employment.

womenwork@womenwork.org

Women's Trade Organizations

Association for Women in Science

The Association for Women in Science is dedicated to achieving equity and full participation for women in science, mathematics, engineering and technology.

Financial Women International

A professional association of women working to achieve success in the financial industry.

info@fwi.org

Hard Hatted Women

This organization supports women who are engaged in or seeking non-traditional trade and technical careers.

info@hardhattedwomen.org

National Association of Women in Construction

The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), founded in 1955, has 5,900 members with more than 187 chapters in 48 U.S. States and three Canadian provinces. NAWIC also has affiliates in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. In its 48 years of service to its membership, NAWIC has advanced the causes of all women in construction whose careers range from business ownership to the skilled trades.

Women Construction Owners & Executives, USA (WCOE)

WCOE, conceived in 1983, promotes opportunities and business for women-owned firms and policy-making executives in the construction industry. WCOE's member businesses include general contractors, top-level policy-making executives, architects, engineers, construction project managers, subcontractors and other business women and professionals related to the construction industry.

Women in Technology

WIT provides women in the technology community with a networking and professional growth environment to develop relationships and create new opportunities.

Women in Technology International

WITI is an international network designed to assist women working in various technological fields.