The HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program stimulates economic development and creates jobs in rural communities by providing federal contracting preferences to small businesses. These preferences go to businesses that obtain HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone) certification in part by employing staff who live in a HUBZone.

These five counties currently qualified as HUB Zones - Wasco, Hood River, Sherman, Klickitat, Skamania.

Qualifying small businesses in these counties may apply to receive preferential treatment for a large number of federal contracts in many fields, such as manufacturing, web development, training, research, and construction.

The HUBZone Empowerment Contracting program was enacted into law as part of the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 1997. Once a business has registered as a HUBZone business, the business may search a national database of federal contracts for those that are set aside for HUBZone vendors.

ELIGIBILITY

A small business must meet all of the following criteria to qualify for the HUBZone program:

• It must be a small business by SBA size standards;
• Its principal office must be located within a HUBZone, which includes lands on federally recognized Indian reservations;
• It must be owned and controlled by one or more U.S. citizens (this means any level of ownership in an applicant small business by another company would result in a decline). Approved ownership can also be by a Community Development Corporation or Indian tribe; and
• At least 35 percent of its employees must reside in a HUBZone.
  

STEPS

To participate in federal contracts for HUBZone businesses:

1. Determine your business' eligibility by visiting the HUBZone website at https://eweb1.sba.gov/hubzone/internet/.
2. Obtain a DUNS number, provided by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). This is required for registration in Central Contractor Registration (CCR). Click here https://eupdate.dnb.com/requestoptions/government/ccrreg/ to begin requesting a DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet.
3. Register with the Central Contractor Registration System at http://www.ccr.gov/
4. Apply as a HUBZone business at https://eweb1.sba.gov/hubzone/internet/application/dsp_apps_home.cfm
5. Search the Federal Business Opportunities database at https://eweb1.sba.gov/hubzone/internet/application/dsp_apps_home.cfm. Select 'Total HUB-Zone' under Set-Aside Code.

For more information about HUBZones, see www.sba.gov/hubzone or contact Samuel Goldstein, SBA Business Opportunity Specialist, at (503) 326-5101.

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