Get Started: Women-Owned
Small Business Certification (WOSB)

The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce is an authorized 3rd party certifier for the federal
WOSB and EDWOSB programs. If your firm is ready to start or continue your certification,
please follow the instructions below.

Get Ready

  • Download and print the certification checklist:   Print this checklist  and use it to track your progress. The Certification Checklist includes a complete list of your required documents and other important details of the certification process.

  • TIP:  We strongly recommend you review the requirements for this program prior to beginning the application process.  Go to the SBA’s website for the WOSB/EDWOSB program for details.

  •  Look for the key action items below. 

Preliminary Acknowledgements

 Go here to complete the Preliminary Acknowledgements for the WOSB certification. 

Payment for Services

Our non-refundable certification services fee is $275 for U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce Business and Suppliers Members; $350 for Non-Members. When you pay for and complete the EDWOSB or WOSB first, your certification payment will also cover charges for the NWBE and/or IWBE certification.

If you are not already a USWCC Business or Supplier Member, you may join here and save $75 on the certification services fee.

Make payment for certification services here. 

Please Note: The email address that you enter to pay the certification fee needs to be associated with the owner of the applicant company. This will be the one that is associated with your account and the one that you will login with to submit your documents.

Application

Complete the certification application for your certification type and submit with your eSignature.

We strongly suggest you complete by hand a printed version of the application document prior to completing the online form and eSignature.  Once you start completing the application online, you must fully complete and sign the document during one session.  You may not return to the document later.  If you do not complete the document and signature in one setting, you will need to START OVER. 

Upload Required Supporting Documents

Verification & Acceptance for Examination

The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce Certification Team will review everything you have submitted for completeness before accepting your application for examination.

Possible Actions:

  • Notification of Application Deficiency:  If anything is missing, you will be notified via email of deficiencies in your application. Acceptance of your application and examination will not begin until all elements of the application are complete.

  • Acceptance of Application for Examination:  If everything is complete, you will be notified via email that your application has been accepted for review.

TIP:  When the USWCC Certification Team issues either a “Notification of Application Deficiency” or an Application Acceptance letter, we will place a link to these notifications at https://www.womenowned.us/mycertification. [You will need to login — your USWCC login will work at our womenowned.us website.]

Our certification team will also note where you are in the overall process at this secure webpage. You must be logged in to view the information for your firm. We strongly recommend you bookmark this link.

Examination

Primary Examination:  After the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce Certification Team issues a notice that your application has been accepted for examination, we will schedule your exam with a Primary Examiner.

Secondary Examination:  For quality assurance purposes, after your application has been reviewed by the Primary Examiner assigned to your case, your application is also reviewed by a Secondary Examiner.

  • Examination Timeline: The typical processing window is 30 – 45 business days and begins once all required supporting documents have been verified as received from USWCC. 

Possible Actions:

  • Additional Information Request:  During the exam period, our Application Examiners may issue a request for additional information. This request may include additional documents or answers to specific questions about your firm, management, financial and/or legal status. If you receive an Application Information Request, please answer this request promptly (see “Timeliness” in the TIPS below) and notify our Certification Team when you are done.

  • Completion of Examination by both Primary and Secondary Examiners.  When both examiners complete the examinations of your application, a determination is made regarding the approval or denial of certification. Occasionally, during this phase of the process, either examiner may request additional information from the Applicant.

Findings Announced

After the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce Certification Team makes a final determination regarding your certification application, findings are issued.  You will receive a notification of the outcome and this information will also be posted for you at https://www.womenowned.us/mycertification. [You will need to login — your USWCC login will work at our womenowned.us website.].

Possible Actions:

  • Award:  If your firm is awarded a certification, you will receive a notification letter and a formal certification document to be used as evidence of your certification. If you have received either the Federal EDWOSB or the WOSB certifications and would also like to secure the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce NWBE and/or IWBE, our certification team will help you complete the additional required application information.

  • Denial:  If your firm is denied certification, you will receive a notification letter including details of the reason(s) for your denial. Per the new SBA regulations, you may re-apply for certification after 90 days.

Recertification

Firms must undergo a complete program examination every three years conducted by SBA or a third-party certifier. Firms may only submit a recertification application when they are within 60 days of their expiration date. The recertification process is the same as the initial certification process outlined on this page. Click here to get started.

Tips

  • Do not apply for both the EDWOSB and WOSB. Apply for just one certification. If you qualify (economically) for the EDWOSB, we strongly recommend you elect this certification instead of the WOSB. As a certified EDWOSB firm, you may also compete on WOSB set-asides.

  • If you are seeking either the Federal EDWOSB or the WOSB, and you also want to secure one of the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce Certifications (NWBE and/or IWBE), begin by completing the Federal (EDWOSB or WOSB) process first. When you have completed the federal process, our certification team will assist you with the additional information to secure the NWBE and/or the IWBE. When you complete the process in this sequence, you pay only one fee for certification.

  • Important: Due to the detailed nature of the certification process and our obligation to document communications, we ask that you understand most of our communications with you will be in writing. Generally, we are able to answer basic questions about the certification forms and tools used to submit your application, signatures and uploaded documents, and to direct you to the federal rules for the WOSB/EDWOSB program. However, we cannot advise you regarding your specific answers to application questions. Also, we strictly adhere to the federal requirements for the WOSB/EDWOSB certification process. Given these requirements and our need to remain independent and in compliance, our interaction with you during the certification process will be quite formal. Our process is thorough, comprehensive, in compliance with an abundance of rules and regulations, trusted, and of significant value to those firms that secure our certification.  We ask that you understand our need for formality and documentation and support our process – as ultimately, the process supports you.*Timeliness:  Please note, as per the Preliminary Acknowledgements, we are required to secure from you and assess the status of your business at a specific point in time. Consequently, you must supply all required applications, payments and documents promptly. If you do not complete all elements of your certification or respond to the inquiries of our certification team in a timely manner, your certification application will be deemed to be abandoned and you will need to start the entire process again.

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