Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business — a 6% Share of State Contracting
New York sets a 6% statewide participation goal for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, and lets agencies set contracts aside for them entirely. It is the highest such goal of any state in this corpus.
Verified August 18, 2026
What this benefit is
New York sets a 6% statewide participation goal for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses across state contracting, and lets agencies set procurements aside for them entirely.
Certification needs 51% ownership and control by service-disabled veterans.
What it's worth: Access to a 6% goal across state contracting, and set-aside procurements
- The 6% goal applies to contracts for commodities, services and technology over $25,000, and to construction contracts over $100,000.
- Agencies may also set procurements aside for SDVOBs in whole or in part, which is stronger than a goal — it removes non-SDVOB competition from that contract entirely.
- What an individual business wins depends entirely on what it does and how it bids, so we publish no figure.
Who is entitled to it
- A New York business at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans.
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.
The thing most people get wrong
Six percent is the highest state goal we have found, and set-asides go further still
A participation goal means agencies try to direct that share of spending your way. A SET-ASIDE means a contract is closed to everyone else. Article 17-B gives New York agencies both, and at 6% the goal is double California’s DVBE equivalent and higher than any other state in this corpus. The threshold is a service-connected disability rather than a severe one, so it reaches far more veteran business owners than the name suggests — and relatively few certify, which is what makes the goal reachable.
How to claim it
- 1Apply for SDVOB certification through the OGS Division of Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development. It is a New York certification and is separate from the federal SDVOSB one.
- 2Look at set-aside procurements as well as the goal — a set-aside contract excludes non-SDVOB competition altogether.
- 3Ask about subcontracting too. Prime bidders need SDVOB participation to meet the 6% goal, which gives them a direct reason to bring you in.
- File with
- NYS Office of General Services, Division of Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development
- Documents you will need
- dd214 ny · va rating letter ny · business ownership documents ny
- Periodic re-certification
Common mistakes that cost people this benefit
- Assuming federal SDVOSB certification carries over. New York certification is separate, through the OGS Division of Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development.
- Watching only for set-asides. Most of the 6% is met through subcontracting, and prime bidders need SDVOB participation to hit it — which gives them a reason to find you.
- Certifying on equity alone. The programme requires operational control, not just ownership.
Questions people ask
- What size of contract does the goal apply to?
- Commodities, services and technology over $25,000, and construction contracts over $100,000.
Sources
- authority · statuteN.Y. Exec. Law art. 17-B (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Act)
- operating · published policyNYS OGS — Division of Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development
This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.