Grants For Women logo

The Online Guide to Women Grants, Funding, Scholarships, and More!
Home What Are Grants? Opportunities Types of Grants How To Apply News/ Blog

Women-Owned Businesses Are Winning Federal Contracts -- Find Out How!

Women's Business Enterprise National Council
Although the U.S. government fell short last year in awarding the promised 5 percent of government contracts to women-owned businesses, women who own their own small businesses should not give up. In fact, they need to prepare themselves to go after these competitive contracts. How?

How women-owned businesses need to prepare

Contracts for government business are out there, but women who own their own small businesses need to prepare now to compete for these contracts. The place to start is for women to self-certify their company as an economically disadvantaged, women-owned business. The certification process is available to businesses that are at least 51 percent owned, operated and managed by women.
Help is available

Becoming a vendor for the U.S. government, the world’s largest buyer, can be a daunting process, but help is available. Most states have a Small Business and Technology Development Center that offers assistance with the certification process. Women-owned businesses can also contact The Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) for help.

The WBENC was founded in 1997 and is the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned, controlled, and operated by women in the United States. WBENC, a national non-profit organization serving women in business, is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and provides world class standards of certification to women-owned businesses throughout the country.

To find out more about how to certify your business, visit www.wbenc.org/Government/