NEW 28 Aug 2026 — 3-point bonus preference for any honorably discharged veteran-owned enterprise
3 bonus points on bid evaluation, plus a 3% goal — state and local contracts alike
Section 34.069 was created by H.B. 2593 and takes effect 28 August 2026. It is the widest veteran procurement preference in this dataset: a three-point bonus preference for honorably discharged veteran-owned enterprises, with a commissioner-of-administration goal of three percent of state contracts, binding on the state and on every political subdivision in Missouri. No disability rating anywhere in it. Two honest caveats. The statute says the commissioner MAY promulgate rules to implement it, and at the time of writing none are published — so the mechanics of how you claim the points are not yet settled. And you cannot stack: an enterprise taking bonus points under 34.069 may not also take them under the service-disabled section 34.074. If you qualify under both, you pick one.
Who qualifiesSole proprietorship owned and controlled by an honorably discharged veteran; or a partnership or joint venture at least 51% owned by honorably discharged veterans with management and daily operations controlled by veteran owners; or a corporation or other entity at least 51% owned (or 51% of stock owned) by honorably discharged veterans with management and daily operations controlled by veteran owners. Must do business as a Missouri firm, corporation or individual, or maintain a Missouri office or place of business.
Source: Missouri Revised Statutes § 34.069 (L. 2026 H.B. 2593), effective 28 August 2026 · verified 2026-08-12
3-point bonus preference and 3% goal for service-disabled veteran businesses
3 bonus points; 3% of state contracts as a goal; binds political subdivisions too
The long-standing Missouri preference, in force since 2008 and amended again in 2026. Agencies must give a three-point bonus preference to service-disabled veteran businesses, and the Division of Purchasing carries a goal of awarding three percent of contracts for any job or service to certified SDVEs. Two details worth planning around. The goal evaporates by its own terms — if no or an insufficient number of qualifying veterans bid, the three percent requirement simply does not apply, so showing up is most of the mechanism. And the goal and the bonus points can also be reached through qualified subcontractors or suppliers on weighted-criteria procurements that provide at least three percent of total contract value, which means primes have a reason to seek you out as a sub.
Who qualifiesAt least 51% owned by one or more service-disabled veterans (or 51% of stock, for a publicly owned business), with management and daily business operations controlled by service-disabled veterans. Must do business as a Missouri firm, corporation or individual, or maintain a Missouri office or place of business. "Service-disabled" is whatever the federal VA has certified.
Source: Missouri Revised Statutes § 34.074 · verified 2026-08-12
SDVE certification through the Office of Equal Opportunity
Recertification every 3 years
Certification runs through OA's Office of Equal Opportunity rather than the purchasing division, which is why people looking for it on the procurement site do not find it. Renewal is every three years — a longer leash than the annual reverification several states demand. One eligibility line does real work here: the business must be organised as a FOR-PROFIT business, so a veteran-run nonprofit does not qualify no matter how the ownership is structured. Certified vendors are listed in a public SDVE database that agencies and primes actually search.
Who qualifiesAt least 51% owned by one or more service-disabled veterans; the veteran owner or owners must be capable of exercising direct control over daily and long-term management, policy and operations; doing business as a Missouri firm, corporation or individual, or maintaining a Missouri office or place of business; and organised as a for-profit business. Initial application requires documentation of ownership, management, control, and VA verification of the service-connected disability.
Source: Missouri Office of Equal Opportunity — SDVE Certification Program (§ 34.074 RSMo; 1 CSR 40-1.050) · verified 2026-08-12