Startup USA Guide
Part B · Startup-relevant scheme

HUBZone Program (HUBZone)

Small Business Administration

Market Access Growth / ScalingMarket Access & IP

Unlike ownership-based certifications, HUBZone eligibility depends on where your business operates and where your employees live, not who owns the company.

Type of support
Market Access
Best suited for
Growth / Market Access
Headline amount
Sole-source contracts up to $4.5M
How much
Sole-source up to $4.5M; 10% price preference

Objectives

Drive job creation and capital investment into distressed communities by channeling federal contracting dollars toward businesses rooted there.

Who can apply?

  • Small business under SBA size standards.
  • At least 51% owned/controlled by US citizens (or a CDC, agricultural cooperative, Alaska Native corporation, Native Hawaiian organization, or Native American tribe).
  • Principal office located in a HUBZone (check the official map).
  • At least 35% of employees must be HUBZone residents.

What do you get?

  • 10% price-evaluation preference in full-and-open competitions.
  • Sole-source contracts up to $4.5 million.
  • HUBZone-restricted set-aside competitions.

How to apply

Check your address against SBA's HUBZone map, then apply for certification via certify.sba.gov.

Go to official portal