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The term HUBZone
comes from the phrase, "Historically Underutilized Business
Zone"
The HUBZone
Empowerment Contracting Program is designed to stimulate
economic development and create jobs
in urban and rural
communities by providing federal contracting preferences to
small businesses. These preferences
go to small businesses
that obtain HUBZone certification by being located in a
HUBZone designated area or employing
staff who live in such an
area.
The program resulted
from provisions contained in the Small Business
Reauthorization Act of 1997. The program is
administered by a
staff in Washington, D.C. in cooperation with field staff
located in SBA District Offices around the country.
Learn more about the HUBZone
program
8(a) Business Development
Program
The SBA
administers two particular business assistance programs
for small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs). These
programs are the 8(a) Business Development Program and
the Small Disadvantaged
Business Certification Program.
While the 8(a) Program offers a
broad scope of assistance to socially and economically
disadvantaged firms,
SDB certification strictly pertains
to benefits in Federal procurement. Companies which are
8(a) firms automatically
qualify for SDB
certification.
Todays 8(a)
Business Development Program is strengthened and
improved to be a truly effective business
development
vehicle. New regulations permit 8(a) companies to form
beneficial teaming partnerships and allow
Federal
agencies to streamline the contracting process. New
rules make it easier for non-minority firms to
participate by proving their social disadvantage.
The SBA also has implemented the new Mentor-Protégé
Program to
allow
starting 8(a) companies to learn the ropes from
experienced businesses. The SBA's task is to
teach 8(a) and
other small companies how to compete in
the Federal contracting arena and how to take advantage
of greater
subcontracting opportunities available from
large firms as the result of public-private
partnerships.
The new and
improved 8(a) Program has become an essential
instrument for helping socially and economically
disadvantaged entrepreneurs gain access to the economic
mainstream of American society. SBA has helped thousands
of aspiring entrepreneurs over the years to gain a
foothold in government contracting. Participation is
divided into two
phases over nine years: a four-year
developmental stage and a five-year transition stage. In
fiscal year 1998, more
than 6,100 firms participated in
the 8(a) Program and were awarded $6.4 billion in
Federal contract awards.
Learn more about the
8(a) program
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