Selling to the Commonwealth of Virginia

How a company registers as a supplier with the Commonwealth of Virginia, the state's certification programs and drone programs, and where to get help in Virginia, with the official sources. Federal registrations such as SAM.gov are in the federal guides.

eVA, Virginia's eProcurement Marketplace (Department of General Services)

How to register

1. 1Go to eva.virginia.gov. Click Register Now, then click Supplier Registration.
2. 2Pick your taxpayer ID type. The eVA form offers U.S.-based options (EIN or SSN) and foreign-based options, including "Foreign Based (I don't have EIN or SSN)".
3. 3Fill in every field marked with an asterisk (*): company name, name as shown on the W-9, organization type and contact details. The form also has optional fields for a DUNS number and a Unique Entity ID (UEI).
4. 4Select at least one commodity code for the goods or services you sell. Look up codes with eVA's NIGP (National Institute of Governmental Purchasing) code lookup.
5. 5Choose Yes to get an email when a solicitation matches your commodity codes.
6. 6Enter your tax address. Add separate order, payment, physical or billing addresses if they differ.
7. 7Read and accept the eVA Memorandum of Agreement. Then click Register.
8. 8Open the email from eVA and set your password. The link works for 60 minutes.
9. 9Sign in. Go to General Info > Company Profile > Documents & Certs and click Add Legal Documents. Choose Legal Documents / Form W9 and upload a signed and dated Commonwealth of Virginia Substitute W-9. eVA's Register Now page says the form may be signed by hand, with Adobe or with DocuSign. eVA says registration is not complete until this form is received, and payments are delayed without it.
10. 10Know the order fees. The eVA fee schedule posted by the Department of General Services lists no registration fee. It charges suppliers 1% of each order, capped at $500 per order for businesses certified as small by the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD), and $1,500 per order for other registered suppliers.
11. 11Optional: apply for SWaM (Small, Women-owned and Minority-owned) certification with SBSD. It is free.
12. 12Need help? Call eVA Customer Care at 1-866-289-7367 or email eVACustomerCare@dgs.virginia.gov. eVA also offers a paper registration packet for vendors with limited internet access.

• Small Business (SWaM)Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD)Businesses at least 51% independently owned and controlled by U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens that, with affiliates, have 250 or fewer employees or average annual gross receipts of $10 million or less over the previous three years. SBSD's FAQ says businesses based outside Virginia may apply if their home state does not deny certification to Virginia-based SWaM businesses, and they must register with the State Corporation Commission. SBSD says there is no cost, review takes about 60 business days, and certification lasts five years.
• Micro Business (SWaM)Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD)A designation for businesses with no more than 25 employees and no more than $3 million in average annual revenue over the three years before certification. SBSD says a business must first be certified as a small business.
• Women-Owned Business (SWaM)Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD)Businesses at least 51% owned by one or more women who are U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens, with women controlling management and daily operations.
• Minority-Owned Business (SWaM)Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD)Businesses at least 51% owned by one or more minority individuals who are U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens, with minority individuals controlling management and daily operations.
• Service-Disabled Veteran-owned (SDV) designationVirginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS), with SBSDBusinesses owned by service-disabled veterans. SBSD says SDV is a status in the SWaM vendor database, not a separate certification, and it is free. The owner is first certified as a service-disabled veteran by DVS (phone 804-786-0286), then applies to SBSD for small, women-owned or minority-owned certification.
• Military Family-Owned BusinessVirginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD)Businesses at least 51% owned by people within the definition of "military family", who also control management and daily operations.
• Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concession DBE (ACDBE)Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD); the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority also certifiesFirms seeking credit on contracts funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), under 49 CFR Parts 26 and 23. After the USDOT Interim Final Rule of October 3, 2025, SBSD halted all DBE/ACDBE certification activities on October 8, 2025, began reevaluating Personal Narratives and Personal Net Worth Statements on March 9, 2026, and says it will not process DBE/ACDBE applications until reevaluation is complete. On June 23, 2026, SBSD announced that out-of-state (interstate) processing has begun: a firm based in another state applies in Virginia through the interstate process after its home-state Unified Certification Program (UCP) has certified or recertified it under the new rule. SBSD gives no date for processing new in-state applications.

• Virginia Unmanned Systems CenterVirginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC), the nonprofit operations arm of the Virginia Innovation Partnership AuthorityVIPC calls the center the primary source for information, grants, partnerships and seed funding for unmanned systems (land, air, sea and space) in Virginia. It also supports the state's Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) strategic plan. Contact: info@VirginiaIPC.org.
• Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP)Virginia Tech, Institute for Critical Technology and Applied ScienceAn FAA-designated UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) test site. It offers research and development, test and evaluation, safety case development, and facilities for UAS projects.

• APEX AcceleratorVirginia APEX Accelerator (a sponsored program of George Mason University)APEX Accelerator website
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC)Virginia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) networkSBDC website
• Economic developmentVirginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP)Economic development agency website

• Where to startThe order: the basics, codes and size, SAM.gov, certifications, drone rules, documents, where to sell, and free and low-cost help.
• SAM.gov registrationThe federal government's free registration for companies that want federal contracts: the Unique Entity ID, the CAGE code and the yearly renewal.
• Codes and profilesNAICS and PSC codes, SBA size standards, CAGE and NCAGE codes, and the SBA Small Business Search profile buyers search.
• SBA certificationsThe SBA's 8(a), HUBZone, women-owned (WOSB and EDWOSB) and veteran-owned (VetCert) programs: who each is for and how to apply.
• Drone complianceThe rules for selling drones to government and flying them: NDAA and the American Security Drone Act, Blue UAS, the FCC, FAA Part 107, ITAR, EAR and CMMC.
• Documents to prepareWhat government buyers, SBA lenders, SBIR and STTR programs and investors ask to see.
• Selling to federal buyersWhere federal contracts, subcontracts and research funding are posted: SAM.gov, primes, the GSA schedule, SBIR and STTR, DIU, AFWERX, the Army, the Navy, SOFWERX and DHS.
• Utilities and public buyersUtilities, HUD-funded agencies, state transportation departments, cities and counties, and cooperative contracts such as Sourcewell and NASPO ValuePoint.
• Free and low-cost helpAPEX Accelerators, SBDCs, SBA district offices, SCORE, veterans' and women's business centers, MEP centers and agency small business offices.

• eVA home page (Virginia Department of General Services)
• eVA Register Now page
• eVA Steps to Register as a New eVA Supplier (quick reference guide)
• eVA Billing page
• Current eVA Fees (effective 07-01-2014)
• SBSD home page
• SBSD Small Business Certification
• SBSD Certification FAQs
• SBSD DBE program page
• SBSD New DBE Applicant
• SBSD DBE Legal Updates
• SBSD letter to out-of-state DBE/ACDBE firms (June 23, 2026)
• VIPC Virginia Unmanned Systems Center
• VIPC home page
• VIPC SBIR & STTR Support
• Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (Virginia Tech)
• Virginia Department of Aviation home page
• Virginia APEX Accelerator
• Virginia SBDC
• Virginia.gov agency page: Virginia Economic Development Partnership

Last checked September 25, 2026. Rules, fees and programs change; the official sources are where to confirm them before applying or spending money.

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