Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone)
The HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program is deigned to stimulate economic development and create jobs in urban and rural communities by providing federal contracting preferences to small businesses. These preferences go to small businesses that obtain HUBZone certification by being located in a HUBZone designated area or employing staff who live in such an area.
The program resulted from provisions contained in the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 1997. The program is administered by a staff in Washington D.C. in cooperation with field staff located in SBA District Offices around the country.
Notable Program Updates:
Comprehensive changes to the program were implemented in 2020, impacting three significant areas:
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Customer Experience: provide faster certification decisions by processing applications within 60 days, streamline the application process (new tool introduced in 2021), and expanding early engagement.
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Increase Program Utilization: New "Legacy" HUBZone employee provision, improved recertification requirements, and simplifying contract verification.
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Expand and Stabilize the HUBZone Footprint: Predictability in HUBZone designations, expansion to rural areas, and support long term investment within communities.
The US Small Business Administration (SBA) regulates and implements the program and
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Determines which businesses are eligible to receive HUBZone contracts
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Maintains a listing of qualified HUBZone small businesses that federal agencies can use to locate vendors
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Adjudicates protests of eligibility to receive HUBZone contracts
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Reports to Congress on the program's impact on employment and investment in HUBZone areas.
For more information about the SBA HUBZone Program including how to get certified or maintain certification, please click here.
NAVFAC HUBZone Program
NAVFAC is committed to providing assistance to HUBZone small businesses to meet their needs in doing business with the Navy. Our commitment is demonstrated in consistently exceeding the DoD 3% goal in the past 5 years for both prime and subcontract awards to HUBZone small business concerns. NAVFAC is proud of this record and continues to seek qualified HUBZone small business participation in procurement actions.