All Veteran Owned Business verifications are not created equal and may be required to successfully submit a proposal for a government or corporate contracting opportunity. There are definite benefits to verification and it’s important to understand the differences between verifications, where it will be valid and choose the most relevant based on your business goals. Here’s a brief outline of just a few veteran verification processes available.

Government and Corporate Contracting Verification

veteran verified

  • CVE (Center for Verification and Evaluation)  – The Vets First Verification Program guarantees that funds and services are given to legitimate companies that are indeed owned and managed by veterans. To participate in the government bidding process, veterans must be verified by the CVE and must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (sam.gov) portal. This government-sponsored program is free and accepted by all government agencies (national and local) and many large corporations. For example, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, FCA Group (formerly named Chrysler) and Kellogg are just a few of the growing list of corporations.

Corporate Contracting Verification

The following verifications are NOT recognized by government agencies and can not be used to qualify for veteran set-asides. The following are third-party entities:

  • NVBDC (National Veteran Business Council Development) – The organization is a 501c3 not for profit foundation and has 26 corporate sponsors and supporters. This is a national organization and enjoys the confidence of many corporations and some states.
  • NaVOBA (National Veteran-Owned Business Association) – With paid memberships, NaVOBA offers connection to and discounts with 79 corporate sponsors/members. Sharing information about state-sponsored contracts is one of their membership advantages; they track legislation in twenty-seven “veteran-friendly” state governments.

Your ROI Connection

If you have limited funds, CVE verification could be the way to go, especially if your company’s focus is federal work. However, government contracts are subject to federal laws and protocols which private corporations may or may not follow; affirmative action, drug-free workplace, minimum wage, and other more stringent requirements.

Another consideration is, “You have to spend money to make money.” You may connect with corporate contract opportunities when you affiliate with an advocacy organization that promotes federal and corporate contracts. Your membership can be considered more of an investment, and the work that is generated for your company can be a measurable ROI (return on investment).

Immeasurable Value

What is more difficult to measure is the enormous benefit of establishing new relationships you create as a member of an organization like VOBRT (Veteran Owned Business Roundtable). Much of our focus for the 2018 fiscal year is expanding our supplier base; an important extension of our 2005 state-government-oriented contract development. For membership information, contact the VOBRT today.