Historically Underutilized Business Zones

The Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program was created to stimulate growth in urban and rural communities. This is one of the few certifications that is based mainly on the employees and not the owner.

Companies that receive this certification get a 10% price evaluation preference when they bid on full and open contracts.

You can view the live HUBZone map by clicking here.

This map shows the US and its territories and will show them listed as a qualified HUBZone and provide their designations when entering an address.

Eligibility

To count as a HUBZone company, you will need to be certified. When certified, you will then be able to apply for and bid on HUBZone-related contracts.

To qualify, your company must meet this criteria:

• An active and compliant SAM registration.
• You must be considered a small business.
• Your business’s primary office must be located within a HUBZone.
• 35% of your employees must reside within a HUBZone.
• Your company must be majority owned (51%) by a US citizen, a community development corporation, an agricultural cooperative, a Native American tribe, or a Native Hawaiian organization.

This information is found within 3 CFR § 126.

Apply

You can apply for HUBZone through SBA’s Connect website.

The certification process can be long and daunting since they will need up-to-date information at all times during the process and it involves gathering and keeping recent information on your employees. It can take several months to process this and for all the information to be verified.

The employee(s) should reside within the qualified area for at least 180 days before the date of application and it should be listed as their primary place of residency.

Once your company is verified, you can reapply as many times as your company qualifies (either by the principal office location or employee’s location).

The HUBZone needs to be recertified every year and as a company, you will need to ensure that you keep track of your status as a HUBZone company and make a reasonable attempt at keeping your information correct. Every three years, you will need to go through a full reexamination to stay within the program.

These recertifications and reexaminations are because employees are constantly changing and moving. It is up to the business to work on keeping their percentage up and reporting it to stay compliant.

If you do submit your application and you find that you were not prepared, your application can be rejected or denied. Once this happens, you will have to wait 90 days before you can reapply.

If you are unsure of what is needed or would like to speak with someone about your options, you can reach out to our Contractor Hotline at (855) 545-6604.