SBA Launches New HUBZONE Maps And Partners With U.S. Digital Service To Streamline And Enhance Online Services For Small Businesses

Washington /PRNewswire/ - The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that it has launched a new Historically Underutilized Business Zones map (via Google Chrome) at www.sba.gov/hubzone-maps. The HUBZone map is the first step in the modernization effort of SBA's federal contracting programs. SBA has partnered with the U.S. Digital Service to streamline and enhance online services for small businesses.

The new HUBZone map helps small businesses in urban and rural communities determine if they are eligible for participation in HUBZone's program. It features the latest HUBZone designations, "Qualified Disaster Areas" and new features to improve usability and assist with HUBZone address assertions.

"We are excited about our partnership with the White House's U.S. Digital Service and the improvements made to the HUBZone maps to modernize SBA's contracting programs - making them more user-friendly, agile and nimble for the busy entrepreneurs that we support," SBA Administrator Linda McMahon said. "This is one of many projects that we have worked on with the USDS team to leverage technology to support America's small businesses."

"The United States Digital Service is proud to work with the Small Business Administration to connect small businesses with opportunities through the certify.SBA.gov program," said Matt Cutts, Acting Administrator of the U.S. Digital Service. "Our team is excited about the launch of the improved HUBZone map. We're honored to work with the dedicated staff at SBA to continue to modernize the tools and services that support small businesses."

In March 2016, the SBA launched certify.SBA.gov–a modernized, web-based application to further streamline and improve the application and certification processes for small businesses and entrepreneurs seeking to do business with the federal government. Certify currently facilitates complete application and certification workflow for the Women Owned Small Business Program, including access to third party certification for women-owned small businesses. To help firms assess their eligibility for SBA contracting programs, Certify' s "Am I Eligible?" tool helps small businesses determine if the certification programs are a good fit for their businesses through a series of questions. The site will eventually serve additional SBA certification programs, including 8(a) Business Development Program and the HUBZone Program.

For more details about the HUBZone map please visit www.sba.gov/hubzone.

About The Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 and since January 13, 2012 has served as a Cabinet-level agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, the SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. www.sba.gov

About United States Digital Service
Founded in 2014, the United States Digital Service (USDS) uses design and technology to deliver better services to the American people. Known as the startup within the White House, the USDS partners with some of the nation's top technologists and the government's brightest civil servants in order to tackle and improve the federal government's most important public-facing digital services. The teams work directly with federal agencies, from the Small Business Administration to the Department of Veterans Affairs and others, to untangle the most vital government services Americans rely on and make them better. www.usds.gov.