Summary:

Companies verified by the Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) receive three years of eligibility through the reverification process. CVE has established a process for Simplified Reverification for verified Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB). If a Firm does not meet the eligibility requirements for Simplified Reverification, a Firm is still eligible for the standard reverification process.

For purposes of this Fact Sheet, the use of the term Firm refers to participants reapplying for inclusion and continued listed in the Vendor Information Pages (VIP) database.

Regulations:

38 CFR § 74.1 provides:

Applicant means a firm applying for inclusion in the VIP database.

38 CFR § 74.1 provides:

Participant means a veteran-owned small business concern that has verified status in the Vendor Information Pages database, available at https://www.vetbiz.va.gov/.

38 CFR § 74.10 provides:

An application for VIP Verification status must be electronically filed in the Vendor Information Pages database located on the CVE's Web portal, http://www.va.gov/osdbu/. Guidelines and forms are located on the Web portal. Upon receipt of the applicant's electronic submission, an acknowledgment message will be dispatched to the concern containing estimated processing time and other information. Address information for CVE is also located on the Web portal.

Discussion:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Verification Program is regulated by 13 CFR part 125 and 38 CFR part 74. To apply for Veteran set-asides and sole source procurement opportunities made available through the VA Veterans First Contracting Program, Firms must demonstrate eligibility, unconditional and direct ownership, and control to obtain verification by CVE. CVE instituted the reverification process to reduce the time and effort required to maintain eligibility for the Veterans First Contracting Program. Courtesy notifications are sent to the email address listed on the VIP profile to remind businesses 150, 120, 90, 60, and 30 days prior to their verification expiring. Courtesy phone calls are made 120 days prior to expiration. CVE also provides access to freeCVE certified Verification Assistance Counselors for assistance with reverification. Reverification applications will be examined to ensure all documents from the prior approvals and any updated required documentation (e.g., tax returns for the last three years, license and/or lease renewals, most recent board minutes, etc.) has been submitted. CVE will process all reverifications within the regulatory time of 90 days, when practicable. We advise businesses to submit reverification applications as soon as they are eligible. If an applicant’s eligibility period expires while in the reverification process, the company’s VIP profile will be removed from public view until it is reverified. In our efforts to improve customer service and increase efficiency in processing applications, beginning November 1, 2019, CVE introduced a Simplified Reverification process that streamlines the process for certain eligible applicants.

Standard Reverification Application Submission Process:

1. To submit a reverification application, log in to VIP.
2. On the VIP portal dashboard, locate the business in the “My Business(es)” column to the right.
3. Click the “Re-Verify” link.
4. Answer the four questions on the VOSB/SDVOSB Designation questionnaire page.
5. Answer the 15 questions on the Reverification Questions page. The purpose of these questions is to determine whether any material changes have occurred since the applicant’s last review. [Note: After all questions have been answered, the system will perform an automated check to determine whether the Firm qualifies for Simplified Reverification.]
6. Follow the instructions for completing the remainder of the reverification application.
   a. If the Firm qualifies for Simplified Reverification, the only requirement is for all owners to sign an updated VA Form 0877.
   b. If the Firm does not qualify for Simplified Reverification, the applicant will need to complete the remaining sections of the application, which includes ensuring that all profile information is up-to-date and, to the extent required, submitting any business documents that have been changed or updated since the last verification.
7. Once all required steps have been completed, click “Submit.”

ELIGIBILITY FOR SIMPLIFIED REVERIFICATION

Simplified Reverification criteria:

• Simplified Reverification began on November 1, 2019. Firms that applied prior to November 1, 2019 are ineligible for Simplified Reverification. (i.e., Simplified Reverification process is not retroactive).
• The Firm must be currently verified and within 120 days of expiration.
• The Firm must have less than $1 Million in total VA contracts over the past three completed fiscal years and the current fiscal year-to-date. (Note: This threshold is subject to change based on future risk analysis.)
• The Firm must provide complete and accurate answers to a series of questions developed to help determine eligibility for the Simplified Reverification process.

A Firm will not qualify for Simplified Reverification if:

• The Firm has participated in the denial avoidance program (i.e., the Post Review Findings (PRF) program), which allows a Firm to withdraw its application instead of receiving a denial.
• The Firm is in the midst of a cancellation proceeding or other similar investigative matter or proceeding relating to the Firm’s eligibility.
• The Firm has received a Simplified Reverification approval within the last 3 years.
• CVE has identified any other reason that warrants a more comprehensive reverification review.

Please note that if a Firm does not meet the eligibility requirements for Simplified Reverification, the Firm is still eligible for Standard Reverification, which includes a more comprehensive document review. In this event, we encourage you to review CVE’s list of required documents to help facilitate timely processing of your reverification application.

CVE reserves the right to request additional documentation or conduct a more comprehensive review of any reverification application on a case-by-case basis, even if the Firm meets the criteria listed above.

VA verification application resources may be found via Verification Assistance.

For more information about VA Small and Veteran Business Programs, visit https://www.va.gov/osdbu/.

VA Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

1–866–584–2344
Monday–Friday | 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern)
Status Update:
verificationfollowup@va.gov
Profile Questions: vip@va.gov