Only Small NAICS on your VetBiz VIP Profile Are Allowed

In order to qualify as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) or a Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB), a company must go through an extensive application process to ensure eligibility. Only approved companies can participate in the VetBiz Vendor Information Pages (VIP) database which government agencies use to search for eligible SDVOSBs and VOSBs to do business with.  Like the other Government databases, a company registers for the NAICS that they are eligible to do business under.

On August 1, 2013, the Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) sent out an email to all registered businesses asking them to remove any NAICS in their VetBiz VIP profile under which the business would be classified as a large business.

NAICS determines a company’s size by either average annual or by the average number of employees. It is possible to be classified as a small business for some NAICS codes and a large business for others. You can find Small Business Administration’s (SBA) tool to help you determine your size standard.   The SBA has established penalties for misrepresenting small business size.

The CVE has given companies participating in the program a 30-day deadline to remove large NAICS. There are serious consequences if vendors don’t follow this request.  For vendors who do not remove large business the email warns:

“CVE may request the SBA to conduct a formal Size Determination, and CVE may also initiate debarment and/or cancellation proceedings against the company.”

Until the VIP database has the ability to differentiate large business NAICS and small business NAICS on a vendors profile page, we recommend you heed the warning and remove any large business NAICS that may be on your profile.

If you participate in the program and have questions, feel free to contact Coley or the CVE customer service desk at (202) 303-3260.