The HUBZone electronic application is experiencing temporary technical difficulties. The mapping function within the application is notifying all applicants that they are NOT located within a qualified HUBZone. We regret this inconvenience and are working diligently to correct the problem within the next few days.
Please ensure your principal office address is located within a qualified HUBZone. Use the maps available on the HUBZone program’s website: http://map.sba.gov/hubzone/maps/. We note that the error occurs only after the firm starts the application process, and is within the actual application.
Once an applicant has determined they are located within a qualified HUBZone, a disagreement should be placed within the “dispute box” in the application, indicating the website maps show the firm is in a HUBZone. And the firm should continue with their application submission. For additional questions or concerns please contact the HUBZone Help Desk at 202-205-8885 or email HUBZone@sba.gov.
Before you can apply for the HUBZone program, you must first qualify. Please review the HUBZone Primer (transcript). To qualify for the program, a business (except tribally-owned concerns) must meet the following criteria:
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It must be a small business by SBA standards.
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It must be owned and controlled at least 51% by U.S. citizens, or a Community Development Corporation, or an agricultural cooperative or an Indian tribe.
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Its principal office must be located within a “Historically Underutilized Business Zone,” which includes lands considered “Indian Country” and military facilities closed by the Base Realignment and Closure Act. A principal office is the location where the greatest number of employees at any one location are performing work, with the exception of the construction and service industries.
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At least 35% of its employees must reside in a HUBZone. Reside means to live in a primary residence at a place for at lease 180 days, or as a currently registered voter, and with intent to live there indefinitely.
The HUBZone office has a 35% and principal office calculator that you can use; but please make sure that before you use it, you review the HUBZone regulatory definition for the terms “principal office” and “employee.”
The Application Process
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You can Apply for the HUBZone Certification Online but first you must be registered in the SBA General Login System (GLS). This login method requires any individual with authority to submit, update and/or commit on behalf of the company to have a SBA GLS User ID and Password. You must have the following to login and apply for the application:
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An active up-to-date Dun and Bradstreet profile and DUNS number that represents the business for which you are seeking HUBZone Program certification, recertification, program examination, decertification, etc.
- An active SAM profile for each of the businesses location(s). A business is identified using your Employer Identification (EIN). Learn about and register with SAM on the Register with SAM [hyperlink to https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/] page on this site.
- Each business location (DUNS Number) must have a primary NAICS (North American Industry Classification System).
