The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) buys more from veteran-owned businesses than any other federal agency, and it does so under a special authority called Vets First. If you run a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB), understanding Vets First is one of the highest-value things you can do in federal contracting. This guide explains how the program works, who qualifies, how VA set-asides and sole-source awards differ from the rest of government, and the practical steps to start winning VA work.
What Is the Vets First Program?
Vets First is the VA’s implementation of the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006. It gives the VA authority to set aside contracts specifically for verified SDVOSBs and veteran-owned small businesses (VOSBs), and to award sole-source contracts to SDVOSBs when certain conditions are met. Unlike most agencies, which treat veteran set-asides as one option among many, the VA must first consider SDVOSBs and VOSBs before opening a requirement to other small businesses or to full and open competition. That priority is what makes Vets First so powerful.
The rule is often called the “Rule of Two.” When the VA expects at least two verified SDVOSBs or VOSBs to submit competitive offers at a fair and reasonable price, it should set the requirement aside for those firms. In practice, this means a large share of VA spending flows through veteran-owned firms first, and firms that are verified early have a genuine head start over competitors who arrive later.
Who Qualifies for Vets First?
To compete for Vets First set-asides, your firm must be verified through the SBA’s VetCert program and listed in the SBA’s certification database. Verification confirms that your business is at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more veterans or service-disabled veterans, that the veteran owners manage day-to-day operations and make long-term decisions, and that the firm qualifies as small under its NAICS code size standard. Firms verified as VOSBs can compete for VOSB set-asides, while SDVOSBs can compete for both SDVOSB and VOSB set-asides.
Verification is not optional for VA work. An unverified firm cannot win a Vets First set-aside even if it is veteran-owned in fact. If you have not yet completed verification, read our SDVOSB certification guide and our breakdown of the documents you need for veteran-owned verification before you chase VA opportunities. Getting verified takes weeks, so start early rather than waiting for a perfect opportunity to appear.
How VA Set-Asides Work in Practice
VA contracting officers use market research to decide whether a set-aside is appropriate. They search the VetCert database, review sources-sought responses, and check whether verified firms can perform the work. As a vendor, your job is to make yourself findable: keep your VetCert profile current, maintain an accurate SAM.gov registration, complete your Dynamic Small Business Search profile, and respond to VA sources-sought notices and requests for information. Many set-aside decisions are shaped long before a solicitation is published, by the firms that showed up early and demonstrated capability.
VA opportunities span medical supplies and equipment, healthcare staffing, IT services, construction, facilities maintenance, logistics, and professional services. The VA is one of the largest federal buyers of healthcare-related goods and services in the country, so firms in medical, staffing, and facilities trades often find the deepest pipeline there. But the VA also buys the same commercial services every large agency buys, from janitorial work to cybersecurity, so do not assume your industry is excluded.
Sole-Source Awards Under Vets First
Under Vets First, the VA may award a sole-source contract to a verified SDVOSB when the contracting officer determines that only one responsible SDVOSB can perform, or when a sole-source award is otherwise justified and the value falls within statutory limits. The sole-source thresholds for SDVOSBs at the VA are higher than the government-wide sole-source limits that apply elsewhere, which is another reason VA work is attractive to veteran firms. Sole-source awards still require a fair and reasonable price and a documented justification, so they are not automatic, but they remove the cost and uncertainty of a full competition.
To position for sole-source consideration, build relationships with VA program offices and small business liaison staff, understand the specific requirement better than anyone else, and document past performance that maps directly to the work. A firm that has already performed similar work for the VA, or for another agency in a comparable setting, is far easier to justify as the single responsible source.
Finding VA Opportunities
Start with SAM.gov, filtering by the Department of Veterans Affairs and by set-aside type. Set up saved searches and email alerts so new VA notices reach you daily. Also monitor the VA’s procurement forecast and the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) pages, which publish upcoming requirements and outreach events. VA industry days and matchmaking events are particularly valuable because VA buyers attend them specifically to meet verified veteran firms.
Do not rely on SAM.gov alone. VA requirements also appear as task orders under VA-wide vehicles and GSA schedules, and as subcontracting opportunities with large VA primes. If you are new to the VA, subcontracting to an incumbent prime is a realistic first step: it builds VA past performance, teaches you the agency’s processes, and puts you in front of the same contracting officers who will decide future set-asides.
Common Mistakes That Cost SDVOSBs VA Work
The most common mistake is letting VetCert verification lapse. VA contracting officers check verification status at award, and a lapsed verification can disqualify an otherwise winning bid. Set calendar reminders well before your verification expires and recertify early. The second mistake is bidding on everything: firms that chase every VA notice spread themselves thin and submit weak proposals. Focus on the NAICS codes and service lines where you genuinely excel, and build a pipeline of ten to twenty well-matched opportunities rather than a hundred random ones.
A third mistake is submitting a generic capability statement. VA buyers see hundreds of them. Tailor yours to the VA’s mission, name the specific services you provide, list relevant past performance with contract numbers and agency names, and include your VetCert status, SAM.gov UEI, and NAICS codes on the first page. Finally, never ignore the VA’s small business office: its staff can introduce you to buyers, explain upcoming requirements, and flag outreach events that larger firms may miss.
How GovQon Helps SDVOSBs Target VA Work
GovQon matches your verified profile to VA and other federal opportunities, flags set-asides reserved for SDVOSBs and VOSBs, and helps you track amendments and deadlines in one place. Instead of checking SAM.gov manually every morning, you can filter for VA opportunities in your NAICS codes and set-aside categories, and focus your time on proposals that fit. For firms still preparing to bid, GovQon’s proposal drafting and review tools help turn a strong capability story into a compliant, scored proposal.
Your Vets First Action Plan
First, confirm your VetCert verification is current and your SAM.gov registration is active. Second, build a VA-specific capability statement and a target list of VA offices that buy what you sell. Third, set up SAM.gov alerts for VA SDVOSB and VOSB set-asides in your NAICS codes. Fourth, attend at least one VA outreach or industry event this quarter and introduce yourself to the OSDBU staff. Fifth, respond to two or three well-matched sources-sought notices, even if you are not yet ready to bid, so contracting officers learn your name before the solicitation drops. Vets First rewards firms that show up early, stay verified, and bid selectively on work they can truly deliver. Do those things consistently, and the VA can become the most reliable customer your firm ever has.
Related Guides
Vets First: Make It Your VA Advantage
Vets First rewards firms that arrive verified, visible and ready. If you are an SDVOSB, treat Vets First as your primary VA strategy: keep your VetCert current, search VA opportunities weekly, and build relationships with the VA small business liaisons before the requirement appears. Firms that wait for the solicitation to drop are already behind.
Start with the basics: read our SDVOSB certification guide to confirm your verification is current, and check the SBA’s official Vets First verification page to see what the VA checks before award. Vets First is the VA’s priority for a reason — use it.
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