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The 3% Procurement Goal — Tripled in 2024, and Certification Is Free

Designated Maryland agencies must direct at least 3% of procurement contract dollars to certified Veteran-Owned Small Business Enterprises. The goal was RAISED FROM 1% TO 3% in September 2024, so anything written before then understates it threefold. Certification is FREE and renewed every three years. The business must be at least 51% owned and controlled by veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, and meet the federal small business size standards.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

Designated Maryland agencies must direct at least 3% of procurement contract dollars to certified Veteran-Owned Small Business Enterprises. The goal was RAISED FROM 1% TO 3% in September 2024, so anything written before then understates it threefold. Certification is FREE and renewed every three years. The business must be at least 51% owned and controlled by veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, and meet the federal small business size standards.

What it's worth: 3% of designated agencies' contract dollars directed to certified veteran-owned firms

  • The goal is at least 3% of procurement contract dollars at designated state agencies. It was RAISED FROM 1% in September 2024.
  • CERTIFICATION IS FREE, and is renewed every three years.
  • The business must be at least 51% owned AND CONTROLLED by one or more veterans who served on active duty other than for training.
  • The discharge test is wide: anything other than dishonorable.
  • The business must meet the federal SBA size standards at 13 C.F.R. 121.201.
  • Veteran status is verified by the Department of Veterans and Military Families; certification runs through eMaryland Marketplace Advantage.
  • A goal is not a guarantee of work. What it buys is that agencies are measured on directing business to you.

Who is entitled to it

  • You served in the U.S. armed forces.
  • Your discharge was under conditions other than dishonorable.
  • You are in Maryland.

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. 1Certify through eMaryland Marketplace Advantage. It is free — do not pay anyone to do it for you.
  2. 2Check the SBA size standards at 13 C.F.R. 121.201 for your industry before applying.
  3. 3Be ready to show 51% ownership AND CONTROL. Control is tested separately from ownership and is where applications fail.
  4. 4Diary the three-year renewal. A lapsed certification takes you out of the goal.
  5. 5Once certified, actually bid. The goal is measured on dollars awarded, and agencies need certified firms in front of them.
Form
Certification through eMaryland Marketplace Advantage
File with
eMaryland Marketplace Advantage, with GOSBA
Documents you will need
dd214
No renewal
Once granted it does not need renewing.

Sources

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