Veteran Owned Businesses Can Obtain Surplus DOD Equipment

You're a veteran who owns a business, but you're facing a challenge: you need equipment, yet you don't want to take on a costly loan and may have limited capital. However, you still require quality tools to keep your business running effectively.

Fortunately, veteran-owned businesses have options. One such opportunity is through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which, thanks to the Veterans Small Business Enhancement Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-416), allows eligible veteran business owners to obtain equipment and other property at no cost.

The Act:

"Amends the Small Business Act to direct the SBA to provide access to and manage the distribution of U.S.-owned surplus property. This is made possible through a memorandum of agreement between the SBA, the General Services Administration (GSA), and state agencies for surplus property. The program includes access to foreign excess property returned to a state for distribution as surplus property, specifically for small businesses owned and controlled by veterans."

The program has been gaining traction. To date, approximately 130,000 pieces of former military equipment—valued at around $152 million—have been donated to qualifying veteran-owned businesses and organizations.

Useful Links:

1. Small Business Administration
2. Veteran Small Business Could Seek DOD Surplus Equipment

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