Spotlight on NVBDC
The National Veteran Business Development Council (NVBDC) is the approved 3rd party certifier of the Billion Dollar Roundtable for Veteran and Service-Disabled Veteran owned businesses (VBE/SDVBE) in the United States. A 501c3, NVBDC was started to provide reliable certification for businesses who fall outside the small business definition of the Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Verification and Evaluation Vets First Verification Program.
NVBDC has developed a fast track process (offering certification in as little as 30 days) for businesses who already hold a diverse certification from one of the following organizations:
- Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) [VBE]
- National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) [MBE]
- Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) [WBE]
- National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) [LGBTE]
If not certified by one of these organizations, the NVBDC certification process can take up to 60 days, with a possible extension based on the owner’s availability for a site visit.
To be eligible for certification the US-based business must be 51% owned and controlled by a veteran(s) or a service-disabled veteran(s). Per NVBDC, veteran status is defined has having actively served in the “military, naval or air service” and having been “discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.” NVBDC will base their decision in regards to veteran status “on the detailed information contained in the veteran’s DD214 document.” For service-disabled veteran status a veteran’s “annual disability letter from the Veterans Administration” will also be reviewed.
As with many of the other 3rd party certifications, NVBDC’s certification fee depends on a business’s gross annual sales. For sales under a million the fee is $500. On the max end ($100M+ in sales) the fee is $5,000. A full fee schedule can be found HERE.
Beyond certification, NVBDC is involved with events nationwide to educate and connect VBEs and SDVBEs with buyers. In San Diego, in conjunction with the U.S. Veteran Business Alliance, NVBDC hosted May’s “Keeping the Promise” National Business Expo. Towards the end of June (the 29th to be exact) NVBDC will host its Annual Golf Outing at Selfrige ANG base in Harrison Township, MI. Registration ends June 8th. In July, they have their 3rd Annual Doing Business with Federal Reserve Bank event in Chicago. Thanks to the generosity of JP Morgan Chase & Co and Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago the event is free to attend. In September, NVBDC will host their National Veteran Business Matchmaking Event at the MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit, MI. And in November, they’ll have their first east coast event – NVBDC’s Northeast Veteran Business Development Conference – in Brooklyn, NY.
Previous certifier spotlights: