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Federal Surplus Property for a Veteran-Owned Small Business

A veteran-owned small business with a physical presence in this state can buy federal surplus equipment through the state surplus programme at a service charge, typically 10% to 50% of the item’s original value.

Verified August 22, 2026

What this benefit is

A veteran-owned small business with a physical presence in this state can buy federal surplus equipment through the state surplus programme at a service charge, typically 10% to 50% of the item’s original value.

What it's worth: Access to federal surplus equipment at a service charge below market value

  • The programme moves personal property only — equipment and goods, never buildings or land.
  • The service charge averages 10% to 50% of the item’s original value and varies by the item’s type, condition and current value. Property is not free.
  • Payment is by company cheque or credit card, in full, before property leaves the facility.
  • What a given business saves depends entirely on what is in the inventory when it looks, so no figure is published here.

This record exists to correct a myth. Published summaries get this Arkansas benefit wrong. The record below is what the source actually says.

Who is entitled to it

  • You run, or are forming, a business here.
  • The programme runs on the veteran’s own ownership of the business.
  • Your home is in this state.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

  1. 1Get the business verified as a veteran-owned small business with the U.S. Small Business Administration first, and listed in the SBA VetCert database. State eligibility runs on the federal verification.
  2. 2Confirm the business has a physical location and operations in this state — that is a separate stated requirement.
  3. 3Submit the eligibility application with the supporting documentation, then search the programme inventory for what you need.
  4. 4Diary the renewal. The eligibility application expires with the SBA VetCert registration and has to be renewed when the business recertifies.
  5. 5Budget for the service charge and for collection: property is paid for in full before it leaves the facility, and it must support business operations rather than personal use.
File with
Division of Emergency Management, Federal Surplus Property Program
Documents you will need
dd214
Periodic recertification
Confirmed at intervals rather than annually.
Worth knowingThis is the state’s veteran-owned business programme in practice, and it is a purchasing channel rather than a procurement preference. Nothing read here creates a bid preference, a set-aside percentage or a state certification to hold.
Worth knowingThe gate is federal. A business that has not gone through SBA verification and VetCert cannot use the state channel at all, however clearly the veteran owns it.
Known gapWhether any state procurement preference for veteran-owned or service-disabled veteran-owned businesses exists here was not established this session, and none is published in this record.

Sources

Why only one source type: The administering division’s own programme page states the eligibility criteria, the service charge and the federal authority. The federal statute text was not read alongside it this session.

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.