New Training Program Offers Veterans an Onramp into Federal Procurement
Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it has awarded a $3.75 million grant over five years to the Maryland-based Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation Veterans Institute for Procurement (MCCCF-VIP). The organization will operate the Veteran Federal Procurement Entrepreneurship Training Program (VFPETP), a nationwide initiative to help veteran-owned small businesses build the knowledge, capabilities, and procurement readiness to compete for federal contracts.
“Unlike the prior Administration, which diverted resources from veterans in favor of ‘socially and economically disadvantaged’ businesses, the Trump Administration is investing in our nation’s most deserving job creators who wore our nation’s uniform,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “The new Veteran Federal Procurement Entrepreneurship Training Program will give veteran-owned small businesses the practical training and mentorship needed to compete for—and win—federal work. Especially in high-demand industries such as manufacturing and defense, veteran entrepreneurs will be better positioned to secure federal contracts, expand the industrial base, and strengthen the Arsenal of Freedom.”
The initial $750,000 award covers the 12-month period from Sept. 1, 2026, to Aug. 31, 2027. The program will provide no-cost entrepreneurial-development services through in-person training for participants across the United States. It will focus on serving certified veteran-owned small businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, veterans in the certification-application pipeline, and transitioning servicemembers exploring entrepreneurship.
VFPETP will conduct five cohorts each year and serve approximately 250 veteran-owned small businesses annually. Through cohort-based training, mentorship, and practical federal-procurement instruction, participants will learn how to identify contracting opportunities, develop capability statements, prepare competitive proposals and pricing, and build the operational readiness needed to perform successfully as federal contractors.
This award advances Administrator Loeffler’s commitment to ensure the veterans who served our nation can compete for—and win—federal contracts. In November 2025, SBA cleared the Biden-era backlog of 2,700 VetCert applications—restoring dedicated staffing and funding after the prior Administration diverted all resources from VetCert to increase 8(a) Program certification approvals. The SBA has also advanced broader reforms intended to restore integrity, accountability, and fair competition in federal small-business contracting programs, including with its recent proposed reforms to the 8(a) Business Development Program.