Over the past several years, the Administration
and Congress have advanced proposals to improve
economic opportunities in distressed communities
throughout the country. Both the Administration
and Congress have sought to promote economic development
and employment growth in such communities through
access to Federal contract opportunities.
The HUB Zone Empowerment Contracting Program seeks
to encourage economic development in historically
underutilized business zones - "HUB Zones"
- through the establishment of preferences for award
of Federal contracts to small businesses located
in such areas. These Federal contracting opportunities
will help stimulate economic Development in distressed
urban and rural communities and on Indian reservations.
SBA is responsible for certifying eligible firms,
investigating eligibility challenges, and reporting
the results to Congress.
The purpose of the HUB Zone program is to stimulate
enterprise, expand employment, and promote community-based
economic empowerment by offering federal contracting
opportunities for small business concerns located
in and hiring employees from HUB Zones. The program
also includes lands within Indian Reservations.
JGA, Inc. 279 Broadway Suite 600, NJ, 07740 is
located in
Census Tract "34025805600" which is qualified
as a HUBZone.
In order to qualify for the program, a firm must
be located within a designated HUB Zone area (parts
of Long Branch are a designated HUB Zone area).
Metropolitan areas can qualify based upon census
tract criteria. Non-metropolitan counties must meet
a specific income or unemployment test. Lands within
the external boundaries of an Indian reservation
also qualify. Further requirements are that the
firm must be a small business that is owned and
controlled by U.S. citizens and at least 35% of
its employees are HUB Zone residents.
HUB Zone firms will have the opportunity to negotiate
sole source contracts and participate in restricted
competition limited to HUB Zone firms. Also, small
businesses located in HUBZone areas will be allowed
a ten percent price evaluation preference in full
and open competition. In such cases, the price offered
by a HUB Zone firm will be determined lower than
the price offered by a non-HUB Zone firm as long
as the HUB Zone firm's price is not more than 10%
higher than the price offered by the otherwise lowest,
responsive offeror.
Details on HUB Zone Program legislation, eligibility
requirements, applications, timeframes, and benefits
are all available on the SBA web site (www.sba.gov/hubzone).
All applicants are encouraged to apply electronically
through that web site. Hard copies may be downloaded
or requested, but SBA prefers to keep this process
paperless and simple. If a firm does not have access
to the Internet, it will be allowed to use the computers
located at the Business Information Centers (BIC's)
to determine HUBZone areas and to apply. In New
Jersey the BIC's are at the SBA offices located
on the 15th floor of 2 Gateway Center in downtown
Newark and at Camden County Community College, 200
Broadway, 5th Floor, Camden, NJ. All inquiries about
the program should be directed to HUB Zone, or contact
Richard G. Zilg, Assistant District Director for
Minority Enterprise Development at (973)645-2531.
Click
here to learn about the benefits
of the HUB Zone program!
This Information is available
: http://www.longbranch.org/HUBZone/program.htm
Also visit SBA for complete information on The HUB
Zone Empowerment Contracting Program Click
here.
