SBA Approves HUBZone Expansion Petitions in 18 States: 252 New Governor-Designated Covered Areas, 30 States Now Participating
Washington — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that it has approved 18 governors' petitions since January 2025 to create new Governor-Designated Covered Areas under the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Program. The approvals establish 252 Governor-Designated Covered Areas, expanding access to HUBZone certification for eligible small businesses, particularly those in rural communities.
HUBZone certification offers qualifying small businesses the opportunity to compete more effectively for federal contracts, creating new opportunities for small manufacturers, suppliers and service providers to grow, hire and invest in their communities.
"Working with state governors, the Trump SBA is expanding access to the HUBZone Program and opening new pathways for rural small businesses to compete for federal contracts," said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. "These new designations will help local manufacturers and suppliers grow, create jobs, and invest in their communities." She thanked Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner for his partnership in combining Opportunity Zone investment incentives with HUBZone federal contracting to strengthen rural economies and rebuild domestic supply chains.
Thirty states are now participating in the Governor-Designated HUBZone Initiative. In reviewing petitions, the SBA worked with governors to align new covered areas with Opportunity Zones where appropriate; Opportunity Zones are economically distressed communities designated under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of President Trump's first term to encourage long-term private investment and job creation.
Of the 18 states with approved petitions, Indiana, Nevada and Hawaii are new participants. The other 15 are Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Small businesses can check the program details and whether their community is in a covered area through the SBA's HUBZone program page.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国汽车装配厂生产线上的工人（资料图）。Ford Motor Co 摄，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / A worker on an auto assembly line in the United States (file photo). Photo by Ford Motor Co, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
