In today's diverse and vibrant Commonwealth of Virginia, fostering equity and inclusion is not just a worthy goal, but a fundamental principle upon which a thriving future is built. Recognizing this critical imperative, the commonwealth’s executive order # 35 sets a target of 42% for SWaM (Small, Women-owned, and Minority-owned) participation in discretionary spending by state agencies. As a central pillar in the Commonwealth's economic landscape, Virginia's Community Colleges (VCCS) stands firmly aligned with this vision. As part of this commitment, the VCCS SWaM program was established to increasing economic opportunity for SWaM businesses and promoting a more inclusive and equitable economy in Virginia.
What is a SWaM vendor?
The SWaM eligibility criteria listed below are from the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (DSBSD) website.
Micro BusinessMicro Business is a certified Small Business under the SWaM Program and has no more than twenty-five (25) employees AND no more than $3 million in average annual revenue over the three-year period prior to their certification. As a certified Small Business by the Department, your company might qualify to be a “Micro Business”. Women-Owned BusinessA business concern that is at least 51% owned by one or more women who are U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens, or in the case of a corporation, partnership, or limited liability company or other entity, at least 51% of the equity ownership interest is owned by one or more women who are citizens of the United States or legal resident aliens, and both the management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more women. Service Disabled VeteransVeterans who are small business owners can obtain Service Disabled Veteran-owned “status” in the SWaM vendor database. This is not a separate certification; it is a designation of those businesses that are owned by Service Disabled Veterans who are certified as such by the Virginia Department of Veteran Services. |
Small Business"Small business" means a business that is at least 51% independently owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens, and together with affiliates, has 250 or fewer employees, or average annual gross receipts of $10 million or less averaged over the previous three years. One or more of these individual owners shall control both the management and daily business operations of the small business. Minority-Owned BusinessA business concern that is at least 51 percent owned by one or more minority individuals who are U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens, or in the case of a corporation, partnership, or limited liability company or other entity, at least 51 percent of the equity ownership interest in the corporation, partnership, or limited liability company or other entity is owned by one or more minority individuals who are U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens, and both the management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more minority individuals, or any historically black college or university, regardless of the percentage ownership by minority individuals or, in the case of a corporation, partnership, or limited liability company or other entity, the equity ownership interest in the corporation, partnership, or limited liability company or other entity. |
- To initiate the small business & supplier diversity certification process, visit the SBSD website.
- To register with eVA, proceed to eVA Registration. Vendors are strongly encouraged to register in eVA.
- View current opportunities available by visiting Virginia Business Opportunities (cgieva.com)
- For further questions or other inquiries, please contact us at 877-340-5577 or help@ssc.vccs.edu.
The Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity offers a comprehensive directory of firms certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia, including SWaM and DBE designations. The directory can be searched using various criteria such as certification type, codes, location, and contact details.
To access DSBSD's directory listing, visit: https://directory.sbsd.virginia.gov/#/executiveExport
Former Governor Ralph Northam’s 2019 Executive Order 35 mandates that “the Commonwealth exceed a target goal of 42% of discretionary spend for Executive Branch Agencies with small business certified by DSBSD” (The Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity). This discretionary spend includes both prime and sub-contracts. VCCS is committed to achieving and maintaining the SWaM spend target.
SBSD’s SWaM Expenditure Dashboard serves as a valuable tool for agencies to evaluate their advancement towards meeting their SWaM spending objectives.
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