WASHINGTON — 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.
# # #
About the Office of Veterans Business Development
The SBA Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD) works through SBA’s extensive resource partner network, including 51 Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) locations throughout the nation. VBOCs are the leading partners in delivering the “Boots to Business (B2B),” “Boots to Business Reboot,” and “Military Spouse Pathway to Business” programs—entrepreneurship courses offered on military installations and in local communities. Since B2B’s inception in 2013, these programs have collectively trained and graduated nearly 260,000 service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses. OVBD’s broader resource partner network also includes Small Business Development Centers, the SCORE mentoring program, and Women’s Business Centers. For more information on the resources available for veteran entrepreneurs, visit sba.gov/veterans.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.