Contract Our Veterans Act: 5% VOSB Goal

By CombatProse | USMC

The Contract Our Veterans Act of 2026 is a bipartisan bill that could change the entire federal contracting map for veteran-owned companies. It’s filed as H.R. 7534 in the House and S. 3694 in the Senate, and it does one thing vets in business have been fighting for since forever: it gives Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs) real, government-wide tools — not just “nice-to-have” points on a subcontracting plan.

Right now, if you’re not service-disabled, your VOSB status mostly matters at the VA. This bill would make VOSB opportunities government-wide — every agency, every contracting shop, every mission set.

Here’s the no-BS breakdown, what’s actually in the text, and what you should do before this thing passes (because the winners won’t wait for the starting gun).

What the Contract Our Veterans Act of 2026 would do

The bill adds a new governmentwide goal to the Small Business Act: not less than 5% of the total value of all federal prime contract and subcontract awards each year for small businesses owned and controlled by veterans. That exact “not less than 5 percent” language is in the introduced bill text. (GovInfo bill text)

Why a goal matters

Goals drive behavior. When agencies are measured, they move money.
Goals create set-asides. Because Contracting Officers need tools to hit the number.
Goals change the market. Primes adjust. Partners adjust. Competitors adjust.

Primary keyword reality check: VOSB vs SDVOSB (status quo)

Here’s the current battlefield:

SDVOSBs have a governmentwide 5% goal and governmentwide set-aside/sole-source authority under SBA/FAR rules.
VOSBs (non-service-disabled) mainly have prime-contract preference at the VA via Vets First. Outside the VA, VOSB is mostly a subcontracting tool.

This bill levels the field: it creates the goal and the contracting tools for VOSBs across all agencies. (Steven Koprince analysis)

VOSB set-asides: the “rule of two” becomes government-wide

The bill creates a new section (Section 36B) in the Small Business Act that tells Contracting Officers they shall award contracts using competition restricted to VOSBs when they reasonably expect:

Two or more VOSBs will submit offers, and
award can be made at a fair and reasonable price that offers best value.

That’s the rule of two, written for VOSBs — and it’s government-wide. (GovInfo bill text)

VOSB sole-source: yes, this is the big lever

The other hammer is sole-source authority. Section 36B(b) would allow a Contracting Officer to award a VOSB sole-source contract above the simplified acquisition threshold if:

the VOSB is a responsible source,
the award price doesn’t exceed the SDVOSB sole-source thresholds referenced in the statute, and
the CO determines the price is fair/reasonable and best value.

The bill doesn’t print the dollar numbers in the text — it cross-references the SDVOSB thresholds. In the FAR today, those thresholds are $8.5M for manufacturing NAICS and $5M for everything else. (FAR 19.1406)

Certification: no, you can’t self-cert your way into this

If you take nothing else from this post, take this:

Certification is the gate.

The bill says a VOSB can only be awarded a contract under the new section if the business and the veteran owner are listed in the database described in Section 36(f)(1) of the Small Business Act. That’s the SBA VetCert database. (GovInfo bill text)

If you’re not already certified, read this first and fix your status: VOSB Certification Just Got Mandatory. Here’s Your Play.

What this means for you (operators only)

If this bill passes, here’s what will happen:

Agencies that never cared about VOSB will suddenly have a reason to care.
Set-aside opportunities will expand outside the VA.
Teaming will shift. Primes will hunt certified VOSBs harder.
Companies that waited to certify will be playing catch-up for 6–12 months.

Action plan: get contract-ready before Congress moves

1) Get SBA VetCert certified (now)

Get your ownership and control documents squared away.
Fix anything that smells like “investor control” or “veteran isn’t running day-to-day.”
Don’t wait for the bill to pass — your competitor won’t.

Start with our step-by-step: VOSB Certification Just Got Mandatory

2) Clean up SAM.gov like your paycheck depends on it

Update NAICS codes (primary and secondary).
Update capabilities narrative (plain English, not jargon soup).
Confirm reps/certs and points of contact.

3) Track the bill (don’t guess)

Follow H.R. 7534 and S. 3694 progress.
Watch committee movement and any NDAA add-ons.

4) Stack certifications strategically

If you’re in the federal game, don’t be a one-trick pony. HUBZone changes alone can kneecap you overnight — see: HUBZone Map Cliff.

Bottom line

The Contract Our Veterans Act of 2026 is the closest thing we’ve seen to a government-wide VOSB “Vets First” program. A 5% goal forces agencies to act, and Section 36B gives Contracting Officers the tools: VOSB set-asides and VOSB sole-source awards. (GovInfo bill text)

If you’re a veteran business and you’re not certified, you’re not “waiting.” You’re forfeiting.