VA Veteran-Owned Small Business Verification Guidelines

This interim final rule implements portions of the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006. This law requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to verify ownership and control of veteran-owned small businesses, including service- disabled veteran-owned small businesses. According to this interim final rule, a contracting officer in the Department of Veterans Affairs may restrict competition for a requirement to a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) or to a veteran-owned small business (VOSB) if that business is listed as "verified" in the VetBiz.gov Vendor Information Pages (VIP) database. The interim final rule defines the eligibility requirements for businesses to obtain "verified" status, explains examination procedures, and establishes records retention and review processes.