HUBZone certification in Illinois

To get HUBZone certified in Illinois, register in SAM.gov, confirm you meet SBA's rules for small businesses with their principal office in a Historically Underutilized Business Zone and at least 35% of employees living in one, and apply free on MySBA Certifications. Illinois APEX Accelerator network (Illinois SBDC) helps Illinois businesses apply at no cost.

1. 01

   Register in SAM.gov

   Every certification and federal award needs an active SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity ID. Registration is free and must be renewed every 365 days.^[1]

2. 02

   Check HUBZone eligibility

   The business must be small under SBA size standards and at least 51% owned and controlled by U.S. citizens, a Community Development Corporation, an agricultural cooperative, an Alaska Native corporation, a Native Hawaiian organization or an Indian tribe. Check your Illinois office and employee addresses on the HUBZone map.^[3][4]

3. 03

   Get free help in Illinois

   Illinois APEX Accelerator network (Illinois SBDC): free counseling on SAM.gov, certification and bidding.^[9]

4. 04

   Apply on MySBA Certifications

   Apply at certifications.sba.gov with your office address and an employee roster showing where each employee lives.^[2]

5. 05

   Register with Illinois too

   HUBZone covers federal contracts. To sell to Illinois agencies, register on BidBuy registration and the Illinois Procurement Gateway (IPG) (free).

APEX Accelerators, funded by the Department of Defense, help with registration, certification and bids. SBA district offices run certification outreach and answer program questions.

APEX Accelerators

• Illinois APEX Accelerator network (Illinois SBDC)

SBA district office

• SBA Illinois District Office

None of the Illinois programs we verified is specific to small businesses with their principal office in a Historically Underutilized Business Zone and at least 35% of employees living in one, so HUBZone is the main certification to pursue. Illinois's other state programs are listed below.

• Business Enterprise Program (BEP), Commission on Equity and Inclusion. For minority-, women- and disability-owned businesses; free.^[10]
• Veterans Business Program, Commission on Equity and Inclusion.^[11]

279 open bids in Illinois right now; 0 name HUBZone in the title.

No open bids right now. Browse all open bids

• Certified firms compete for HUBZone set-asides and sole-source awards, and get a 10% price evaluation preference in full and open competitions.^[3]
• The government-wide goal is 3% of prime contract dollars for HUBZone firms.^[3]
• There is no time limit on participation; firms recertify every three years, in the 90 days before the anniversary of certification.^[5]

1. sam.gov/entity-registration
2. certifications.sba.gov/
3. sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/hubzone-program
4. maps.certify.sba.gov/hubzone/map
5. ecfr.gov/current/title-13/part-126/section-126.500
6. acquisition.gov/far/2.101
7. uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title15-section644&num=0&edition=prelim
8. sba.gov/district/illinois
9. sbdc.illinois.gov/find-a-center/apex-centers.html
10. cei.illinois.gov/vendor-resources/get-bep-certified.html
11. ceibep.diversitysoftware.com/