Types of Certification -- Veteran-Friendly Business Enterprise (VFBE)
The State of Ohio’s Veteran-Friendly Business Enterprise (VFBE) Procurement program provides preference or bonus points to certified companies that compete to contract with the state to supply the goods or services it needs, including eligible construction services.
Steps for VFBE Certification
The applicant must complete a Veteran-Friendly Business Enterprise application and provide supporting documentation as required. The business applying for certification must provide records verifying veteran status, which demonstrate an owner’s or employee’s status as a veteran or person on active service. Acceptable records include:
- United States Department of Defense form 214 (DD-214);
- United States Department of Defense form 215 (DD-215);
- United States Uniformed identification card (DD Form 2);
- United States Department of Veterans Affairs identification card;
- United States Department of Defense military identification;
- Ohio driver’s license with armed forces logo;
- National Guard Bureau Form 22 (NGB-22); or
- Any other official documentation verifying status.
Ready to Apply for Certification?
If so, follow these steps… If not, call us or fill out the form on the right:
The applicant must complete a Unified Application through the Ohio Business Gateway and provide supporting documentation as required. Only complete applications, including all required supporting documentation, will be reviewed. Applications are subject to on-site review by state compliance officers. Upon application approval, the company receives its certification by email.
The processing time for completed applications may vary. However, we offer assistance to expedite the process through our “fast track” system. While the exact timeframe may differ, this system aims to significantly reduce application processing time. To qualify for “fast track” processing, applicants must submit their application through one of the regional Minority Business Assistance Centers, such as ours, and the applicant must have a pending contract award that requires certification or be a candidate for and in need of financing or bonding where certification is a requirement.
For a tutorial of how to access the VFBE application, please review this video.