HUBZone certified? SAM.gov has billions in set-aside contracts.

What is HUBZone certification?

HUBZone stands for Historically Underutilized Business Zone. The SBA’s HUBZone program encourages economic development in rural areas, urban empowerment zones, and other designated locations that have historically had difficulty attracting business investment. In exchange for basing your business in one of these areas and hiring locally, you get access to federal set-aside contracts that other small businesses can’t compete for.

To qualify, your business must have its principal office located in a HUBZone, at least 35 percent of your employees must live in a HUBZone, and you must be a small business by SBA size standards. The SBA maintains an official map of designated HUBZone areas, which is updated periodically.

HUBZone certification gives you access to two types of preferential treatment. First, HUBZone set-aside contracts are restricted to HUBZone-certified businesses only — far less competition than an open bid. Second, in full and open competitions, HUBZone firms receive a 10 percent price evaluation preference, meaning your bid is effectively treated as 10 percent lower than it actually is when agencies compare bids. The federal government’s goal is to direct at least 3 percent of all prime contracting dollars to HUBZone businesses — approximately $20 billion annually, per SBA procurement scorecards.

Why finding HUBZone contracts is harder than it looks

SAM.gov doesn’t make it easy. You can filter by set-aside type, but the results still include opportunities from every industry and every state. If you’re a landscaping company in Tennessee, you don’t need to see IT set-asides in Oregon. Narrowing to what actually matters means layering filters for NAICS codes, place of performance, and contract size — and doing it again every single day as new postings come in.

Most small business owners can’t sustain that kind of manual effort. Opportunities close, and the window to submit questions or attend site visits is short. A contract posted on Monday might have a question deadline by Thursday.

How ContractRadar works for HUBZone businesses

Create a free account and start searching HUBZone contract opportunities immediately -- 5 semantic searches per day across federal, state, and local sources, no credit card required. Upgrade to $30/month for daily email alerts, unlimited search, and AI match scoring. No training required -- profile setup takes minutes.

HUBZone subcontracting opportunities

Prime contracts are not the only path. Federal law requires large prime contractors to subcontract a portion of their work to small businesses — and they actively look for HUBZone-certified subcontractors to help them meet their HUBZone subcontracting goals. These opportunities are posted on the SBA’s subcontracting portal (SUBNet), and they are often less competitive than bidding on a prime contract directly. Subcontracting is a proven way to build past performance and establish relationships with prime contractors who may bring you on for future work.

ContractRadar monitors the SBA subcontracting portal alongside SAM.gov. When a subcontracting opportunity that matches your HUBZone certification and NAICS codes is posted, you get the same daily email alert you would for a prime set-aside contract. No separate setup required.

See what HUBZone contracts have been awarded recently

For every matched opportunity, ContractRadar automatically searches USASpending.gov for previously awarded contracts from the same agency with matching NAICS codes and set-asides. See what similar HUBZone contracts were worth, who won them, and how long they lasted — so you know the competitive landscape before you spend time on a proposal.

Start free. Upgrade when you’re ready.

Create a free account and search HUBZone contracts immediately -- 5 semantic searches per day across all sources. Upgrade to $30/month for daily email alerts, unlimited search, AI match scoring, and past award intelligence. Free accounts get 5 searches per day. Pro is $30/month -- unlimited search, daily alerts, and everything else. One flat rate, no matter how many matches you get or how many states you cover.

Your HUBZone certification took real effort to earn. Make sure it’s working for you every day — not just when you happen to remember to check SAM.gov.

ContractRadar for other small business certifications

Learn more about government contracting:

ContractRadar also monitors state and local government procurement portals.

New to government contracting? Read our guide to SAM.gov contract monitoring for small businesses or visit the FAQ.