Step 1: Make sure you can actually win
Before searching, check your eligibility. You need an active SAM.gov registration, and since January 1, 2024 you need SBA VetCert certification to win SDVOSB set-aside or sole-source awards. The only exception is a firm that applied by December 31, 2023 and is still pending. Sources: FAR Subpart 19.14; 13 CFR Part 128 §128.200. Apply at the SBA VetCert portal. You must also be small under the size standard for every NAICS code in your SAM profile (13 CFR 121.201).
Step 2: Know which set-aside you are looking for
- SDVOSB set-asides are government-wide. The VA, GSA, the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Park Service and others can all use them (FAR Subpart 19.14). Agencies may restrict competition to SDVOSBs when they expect two or more eligible offers at a fair price (FAR 19.1405(b)).
- VOSB set-asides exist only at the VA, under the Veterans First program (SBA veteran contracting programs; VA OSDBU).
If you are an SDVOSB, search both. If you are a VOSB but not service-disabled, focus on the VA.
Step 3: Set the filters on SAM.gov
Go to SAM.gov, choose Contract Opportunities, and set:
- Status: Active only.
- Set aside: "Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Set-Aside (FAR 19.14)" and, for VA work, "Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside (specific to Department of VA)". SAM.gov also lists sole-source variants of each.
- NAICS: 236 (building construction), 237 (heavy and civil), or your specific 238 trade codes such as 238220 (plumbing and HVAC) or 238160 (roofing).
- Place of performance: the states you will realistically travel to.
- Notice type: Solicitation and Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for live bids; Presolicitation and Sources Sought for early warning.
Product service codes also help: codes starting with Y are new construction, Z is repair and alteration, and C is architect-engineer design, which most builders want to exclude.
Step 4: Read the notice, not just the title
Open each match and check the response date and time zone, any site visit (often mandatory and soon after posting), the place of performance and the attachments. Click "Follow" on notices you care about so SAM.gov emails you when an amendment changes the scope or due date.
Step 5: Save the search, and know its limits
SAM.gov lets you save a search and get email alerts. That is free and worth doing. The limits: alerts include every amendment and award notice, keyword matching is literal, and you still read raw titles like "Z2DA--612A4-27-018" to work out what the job is.
BidMuster does the screening for you. It reads every new SAM.gov notice each day, keeps only the SDVOSB and VOSB set-aside construction jobs that fit your trade codes and territory, and emails you a short list with plain-English scope and due dates.
Open SDVOSB construction bids on SAM.gov right now
- Rochester, NY Courthouse ConstructionGeneral Services Administration (GSA) · Pbs Project Delivery East - Branch CRochester, NY · Set-aside: SDVOSB · NAICS 236220 · Solicitation 47PC5326R0021Responses due Oct 30, 2026, 5:00 PM ET
- Renovate Space for Patient Care ImprovementsDepartment of Veterans Affairs · 246-Network Contracting Office 6 (36C246)Asheville, NC · Set-aside: SDVOSB · NAICS 236220 · Solicitation 36C24626B0038Responses due Oct 29, 2026, 10:00 AM ET
- Building 13 Stair and Roof Replacement at Castle Point VAMCDepartment of Veterans Affairs · 242-Network Contract Office 02 (36C242)Castle Point VAMC, NY (ZIP 12590) · Set-aside: SDVOSB · NAICS 236220 · Solicitation 36C24227B0002Responses due Nov 4, 2026, 10:00 AM ET
- Fort Bliss National Cemetery, Gravesite Expansion and FCA DeficienciesDepartment of Veterans Affairs · National Cemetery Admin (36C786)El Paso, TX · Set-aside: SDVOSB · NAICS 237990 · Solicitation 36C78626B0028Responses due Nov 12, 2026, 10:00 AM MT
- Camp Nelson National Cemetery: Correct FCA DeficienciesDepartment of Veterans Affairs · National Cemetery Admin (36C786)Nicholasville, KY · Set-aside: SDVOSB · NAICS 237990 · Solicitation 36C78626R0058Responses due Nov 13, 2026, 9:00 AM ET
Each notice was last checked as active on SAM.gov on Oct 16, 2026, 7:10 AM PT. Due dates change through amendments, so always confirm on the SAM.gov notice before you bid.
FAQ
Is SAM.gov free to search?
Yes. Searching Contract Opportunities on SAM.gov is free and does not require an account. You need a registration to bid and an account to save searches.
Which agencies post SDVOSB construction set-asides?
Any federal agency can use SDVOSB set-asides under FAR Subpart 19.14. The VA posts the most construction work, but GSA, the Department of Defense and the Department of the Interior post them too. One of the notices on this page is a GSA courthouse project.
Can I bid on VOSB set-asides at agencies other than the VA?
No. VOSB set-asides are specific to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Other agencies use SDVOSB set-asides.
Do I still need SBA certification if I am already registered in SAM.gov?
Yes. SAM registration and SBA VetCert are separate. Since Jan 1, 2024, SBA certification is required to win SDVOSB set-aside and sole-source awards, except for firms that applied by Dec 31, 2023 and are still pending.
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