Nationwide · Federal set-aside
HUBZone Certification
A federal set-aside that rewards you for where your office sits and where your employees live — and the one certification people lose by moving.
- SBA fee
- Free
- Typical timeline
- 2–4 months
- Recertifies
- Annually
- Where
- All 50 states
HUBZone is about geography. Your principal office must sit in a designated Historically Underutilised Business Zone, and at least 35% of your employees must live in one. In return, agencies set contracts aside for HUBZone firms and give a price evaluation preference in full and open competition.
What SBA verifies
- The principal office — where the most employees work — is inside a HUBZone
- At least 35% of employees reside in a HUBZone, evidenced with real documentation
- At least 51% owned and controlled by U.S. citizens, or an eligible entity
- The business qualifies as small under its primary NAICS code
The trap nobody warns you about
HUBZone status is continuous, not a one-time award. Move your office, lose a resident employee, or hire outside the zone and you can fall out of compliance between recertifications. Maps are also redesignated periodically. We track both so you find out from us, not from a protest.
GERC fee
$2,200
one-time · no SBA fee
- Principal office location verified against the HUBZone map
- Employee residency documented to SBA's evidentiary standard
- Ownership and control requirements reviewed
- Full submission and SBA follow-up
- Annual recertification tracked so status never lapses
- Warning before a move or a hire puts your status at risk
SBA charges no fee for HUBZone. Our fee covers assembling evidence that survives review.
Build your quote Call (909) 454-707650% to start, balance on delivery.
Questions
What people ask about HUBZone.
How do I know if my address is in a HUBZone?
SBA publishes a map, and we check it against your actual principal office before you pay for anything.
What counts as my principal office?
The location where the greatest number of employees perform their work — not necessarily your registered address.
What is the 35% employee rule?
At least a third of your employees must live in a HUBZone, documented with evidence SBA accepts.
Does HUBZone stack with 8(a)?
Yes. Many firms hold both, and they cover different set-asides. We can run them together.
What happens if my zone is redesignated?
There are grace provisions in some cases. We monitor designations and tell you before it becomes a problem.
Also useful