SDVOB participation
What the requirement is, what you have to document, and where a certified supplier fits. Every figure on this page is cited to an official New York State source.
The program OGS
Who certifies, and against what
New York State certifies Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses through the Division of Service-Disabled Veterans' Business Development, part of the Office of General Services. The program runs under 9 NYCRR Part 252, the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise Program.
To be certified, a business must meet all of the following:
- At least 51% owned by one or more service-disabled veterans
- The owner holds a service-connected disability rating of 10% or more from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Located in New York State, or holding a significant business presence in the state
- The veteran owner independently controls day-to-day business decisions
Certification is issued by the state. It is not a self-declaration, and it can be verified against the state's directory. Verify our certification →
The goal 6% statewide
Where the number comes from
The New York State Comptroller states a goal of 6% of statewide agency discretionary spending directed to certified SDVOBs, and notes that by law state agencies must make good-faith efforts to use SDVOBs in procurement.
The goal on your specific contract may not be 6%. Agencies set contract-level SDVOB goals, and they vary by agency, by contract type, and by solicitation. The number that governs your job is the one written into your solicitation documents, not the statewide figure.
What primes have to do 9 NYCRR 252.2(n)
The utilization plan and the paper trail
Where a contract carries an SDVOB goal, the contractor is generally required to submit an SDVOB Utilization Plan with the bid or the signed contract, identifying the certified firms it intends to use, the scope of work they will perform, and the dollar value or percentage involved.
Under 9 NYCRR § 252.2(n), contractors must document good-faith efforts toward using SDVOBs. That documentation typically includes copies of solicitations sent to certified firms and the responses received, explanations where a certified firm responded but was not selected, advertisements seeking certified-firm participation, and attendance records for agency meetings held with certified firms.
A contractor that can document good-faith efforts but still cannot meet the goal may request a partial or total waiver, with supporting documentation. If an agency determines a contractor is not complying and no waiver has issued, it can serve a notice of deficiency requiring a response within seven business days.
Requirements vary by agency and by contract. This page describes the general shape of the program. Your solicitation, your agency's own procedures, and your contract documents control.
Where we fit Both halves
Material spend counts
Construction material bought through Bridgeway is material already in your budget. Routed through a certified SDVOB, it counts toward participation.
Staffing spend counts too
Safety, quality and construction management personnel placed through Bridgeway carry the same certification.
One vendor, one paper trail
Both halves under a single certified vendor means one relationship to solicit, document and report.
We can respond to a solicitation
Send us the solicitation and the scope. A response you can put in the file beats a phone call you have to characterise later.
Sources ny.gov
Every figure above, sourced
- NYS OGS, Division of Service-Disabled Veterans' Business Development: the certifying division
- NYS OGS, SDVOB Certification: ownership and disability-rating requirements, 9 NYCRR Part 252
- NYS Office of the State Comptroller, SDVOB: the 6% statewide goal
Sources checked August 2026. program details change. Confirm against your solicitation and the current state guidance before relying on anything here.