Veterans Resources

The Department of Defense (DoD) appreciates the sacrifices made by veterans in the service of our country and is committed to making the maximum practicable prime and subcontracting opportunities available to service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses.

Veterans are 45 percent more likely to be self-employed than non-veterans, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The skills veterans developed in the military—discipline, tenacity and adaptability—make them ideally suited to become entrepreneurs.

Are you a veteran interested in starting your own small business? Several public and private programs are designed to support you. 

Boots to Business
The Small Business Administration's Boots to Business program provides entrepreneurial training within DoD's Transition Assistance Program (TAP). The program has trained more than 50,000 service members and military spouses since its 2013 launch.

Boots to Business Reboot
The Small Business Administration's Boots to Business Reboot program expanded entrepreneurship training to veterans who have already transitioned out of the military as well as members of the National Guard and Reserve. The program includes an eight-week, online Foundations of Entrepreneurship course instructed by a consortium of professors and practitioners led by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University.

Bunker Labs
Through local chapters in 12 cities, Bunker Labs provides educational programming, mentors and events to help veterans start and grow businesses. 

Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities
The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) program provides training in entrepreneurship and small business management to post-9/11 veterans with service-connected disabilities as well as military family members who serve in a caregiver role to a veteran with a service-connected disability.

Patriot Bootcamp
Patriot Boot Camp equips service members, veterans and spouses with an entrepreneurial education, access to resources, mentorship and community support to build technology companies. 

APEX Accelerators
APEX Accelerators (formerly Procurement Technical Assistance Centers [PTACs]) help small businesses navigate the complex federal procurement system to win and execute contracts with the federal government, including DoD. 

Veteran Business Outreach Centers
The Small Business Administration’s Veterans Business Outreach Centers provide entrepreneurial development services such as business training, counseling and mentoring to veterans.

Veteran Institute for Procurement
The Veteran Institute for Procurement offers five programs to help veteran-owned small businesses and service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses increase their ability to win government contracts. Training programs vary in length (from 1-3 days) and are held in the Washington, DC, area.

Questions
Have questions about programs that support veteran entrepreneurs? Email osd.business.defense@mail.mil.

Other Defense Agencies