The Small Business Administration has released a preview of the updated Historically Underutilized Business Zone maps showing the locations that will become eligible for HUBZone certification.
The new HUBZone maps will take effect on July 1, 2023, highlighting employment and growth opportunities reserved for small businesses in disadvantaged communities, SBA said Friday.
According to the agency, the updated maps reflect updates to population and economic data from the 2020 census and cover more than 20,000 HUBZone areas, including 3,732 newly designated communities.
“By channeling a record $14 billion in federal purchases to HUBZone-certified small firms last year, the Biden-Harris Administration gave a critical financial boost to hundreds of entrepreneurs in economically disadvantaged rural and urban areas,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman.
HUBZone-certified companies are eligible to compete for federal contracts set aside for small businesses in urban and rural communities.
“For small businesses in new HUBZone areas, SBA’s certification provides a gateway to billions of dollars in federal contracting opportunities, contributing to the economic growth and strengthening of underserved communities while also ensuring that employment opportunities benefit the people living in communities that most need positive economic impact,” explained Lori Gillen, director of the Office of the HUBZone Program.
