Government Contracts / VA
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) — small business spending goals, top NAICS codes, and how to get on the vendor list as a post-acquisition buyer.
Small Biz Spend
$14.0B
Small Biz Goal
24%
SDVOSB Goal
12%
WOSB Goal
5%
Top categories
Computer Systems Design
EHR modernization (Oracle Cerner), data analytics, and IT infrastructure — massive ongoing spend.
Facilities Support Services
Building management, groundskeeping, and environmental services at 170+ VA medical centers.
Janitorial Services
Environmental services at VA hospitals — patient safety drives rigorous standards and multi-year contracts.
Laundry and Linen Services
Linen supply and laundry for VA medical centers — recurring annual contracts, SDVOSB set-asides common.
Automotive Repair
Fleet vehicle maintenance for VA medical center vehicles — local small business awards.
How to get on the list
Register in SAM.gov with active UEI and CAGE code.
If veteran-owned or service-disabled veteran-owned: apply for SDVOSB/VOSB certification through the SBA VetCert portal (now the single certification system for VA contracts).
Access VA's eBuy at VA.gov for VA-specific procurement solicitations.
Identify your VA Network Contracting Office (NCO) — there are 18 regional NCOs, each issuing its own local contracts.
Contact the NCO contracting officer for your region to introduce the business and ask about upcoming requirements in your NAICS codes.
Contract vehicles
VA Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP)
Specialized vehicle for pharmaceutical supply — not applicable to most small businesses.
VA National Contract (NaC)
National-level contracts managed by VA Strategic Acquisition Center (SAC) — large IDIQ vehicles for major categories.
Network Contracting Office (NCO) awards
Regional contracts for medical center support — janitorial, linen, maintenance, and IT — the most accessible entry point for small businesses.
GSA MAS Schedule
Many VA purchases of professional services and IT flow through GSA MAS — a prerequisite for many VA task orders.
Acquisition strategy
The VA has a statutory preference for SDVOSB — contracting officers must check SDVOSB availability before opening to other small businesses, and before opening to large businesses. For a veteran-owned acquisition buyer, this preference means competition on many VA contracts is narrowed to 2–4 SDVOSB firms rather than 15–20 open-market bidders. Acquiring an existing VA contractor with active NCO-level contracts and a CPARS record of Satisfactory or above is the fastest path to stable, recurring VA revenue — especially for service businesses (janitorial, linen, IT support, fleet maintenance) that map to recurring human-needs contracts.
SAM.gov registration note
VA solicitations appear on SAM.gov under agency code "VA" and also on VA's eBuy system at ebuy.gsa.gov for certain service categories. Filter SAM.gov by agency = "Veterans Affairs" and set-aside type to find SDVOSB-restricted opportunities first. NCO-level solicitations are often posted by individual facility contracting offices rather than a central VA account.
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