Executive Order 13157: Increasing Opportunities for Women-Owned Small Businesses
President: Bill Clinton
Directed agencies to pursue the statutory five-percent contracting goal and expand access for women-owned small businesses.
Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13157 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13157 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13157 do?
EO 13157 directed agencies to make plans, improve accountability and outreach, and pursue the existing statutory goal for women-owned small businesses. The goal is at least five percent of federal prime-contract and subcontract dollars each fiscal year; it is a government-wide target, not an entitlement or promise of an award. Later statutes and SBA regulations established the modern Women-Owned Small Business certification and set-aside program. Current procurement statutes and SBA rules, rather than this 2000 order alone, control eligibility and awards.
Later evidence reviewed October 2, 2026: The five-percent target remains a statutory procurement goal; SBA’s certification and set-aside rules provide later implementation.
Before and after
Before the order
A statutory five-percent goal existed but agency progress and accountability were uneven.
After the order
Agencies prepared strategies and SBA coordinated measurement, outreach and regulatory development.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Federal agencies | Pursue prime and subcontracting goals | Continuing |
| SBA | Oversee goals, certification and program rules | Continuing |
| Eligible firms | Obtain certification and compete for covered awards | Continuing |
What happened next
EO 13157 signed.
Published in the Federal Register.
The order, current procurement goal and SBA program reviewed.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The five-percent goal is statutory under 15 U.S.C. §644(g). It does not guarantee an individual award. Set-aside eligibility, certification and competition are governed by current statutes, SBA regulations and procurement rules.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- GovInfo — EO 13157 (opens in a new tab) Order text
- eCFR — WOSB program rules (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on October 2, 2026. How we research →