From Rural to Ready: Understanding HUBZone Certification

Why Attend?

Did you know the federal government aims to award 3% of all prime contracting dollars to HUBZone-certified small businesses? If your business is located in a Historically Underutilized Business Zone, you could be sitting on a goldmine of opportunity.

In this session, the Wyoming APEX Accelerator will break down the complexities of the SBA’s HUBZone program. We’ll show you how to leverage this certification to gain a competitive edge in open competitions.

What We’ll Cover:

• The Big Three Benefits: Learn how to access Set-Aside contracts, Sole-Source awards, and increased marketplace visibility.
• Eligibility Deep Dive: We will clarify the 2026 residency and ownership requirements.
• The SBA HUBZone Map: A live look at how to verify if your principal office and employees are in qualifying zones.
• Application Roadmap: Step-by-step guidance on using the certify.sba.gov portal and gathering the right documentation.

Are You Eligible?

To qualify, your business generally must:

1. Be Small: Meet SBA size standards for your industry.
2. Be Owned by U.S. Citizens: At least 51% ownership and control.
3. Location: Your principal office must be in a HUBZone.
4. Workforce: At least 35% of all employees must reside in a HUBZone.

Note: Recent SBA updates have clarified that employees must work at least 10 hours per week and have resided in a zone for at least 90 days prior to certification. We’ll explain what this means for your 2026 application.

About Wyoming APEX Accelerator

We are Wyoming’s experts in government contracting. Our mission is to provide free, local assistance to help you navigate the federal marketplace. Whether you are just starting your application or need help with annual recertification, our counselors are here to help you succeed.