HUBZone

We've done multiple episodes on small business programs and different types of small business set-asides.

On the small business program overall, we have, as well as individual ones like the 8A program and the HUBZone program, the historically underutilized business zones.

What we haven't really discussed is the preference or lack of preference between the different types of set-asides.

The question that pops up is, can an 8A taunt a service-enabled veteran-owned small business and say, you know, my small business type is better than yours? Or, you know, can a HUBZone talk down to a women-owned small business? Is one better than the other? That's the question.

And the answer isn't necessarily specific to any type of set-aside overall, but it could be specific for a specific acquisition.

Before we explain why, let's stop and say thanks.

FAR 19 is a small business section of the FAR.

And this section talks about relationship among small business programs.

We've done multiple episodes on small business programs and different types of small business set-asides.

On the small business program overall, we have, as well as individual ones like the 8A program and the HUBZone program, the historically underutilized business zones.

What we haven't really discussed is the preference or lack of preference between the different types of set-asides.

The question that pops up is, can an 8A taunt a service-enabled veteran in small business and say, you know, my small business type is better than yours? Or, you know, can a hub zone talk down to a women-owned small business? Is one better than the other? That's the question.

FAR 19 is a small business section of the FAR.

And this section talks about relationship among small business programs.

And it says, there is no order of precedence among the 8A program, HUBZone program, Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Program, or the Women-Owned Small Business Program.

So to clarify, there's no preference between those four types of small businesses.

Thanks, Samantha.

Today we're talking about HUBZones.

So let's start in FAR Part 2 where they have definitions of things, including HUBZone.

It says, or lands within the external boundaries of an Indian reservation, qualified base closure area, or a re-designated area as defined in some regulation that I will probably never read, CFR or something.

right, let's dig in a little deeper.

This is our second FAR reference, but I'm not sure that reading the definition counts.

This is FAR 19.13 HUBZones.

The HUBZone program isn't that old.

And we mentioned this, but there's enough... questions about it that better to dive in a little deeper what is this small business challenge part four so far 15 503 is where the notice to unsuccessful offers is listed and this is where when you decide who's who's won or who's excluded from the competitive range you have to notify everyone that bid to get really specific with it there's one tiny little paragraph far 15 503 a2 It's called Pre-Award Notices for Small Business Programs.

And in there, it says that the CO shall, prior to award, notify everybody that bid if you're using a small business set-aside procedures, if you're doing a HUBZone acquisition, if you're doing the small disadvantaged... veteran-owned small business procedures.

If you're doing women-owned small business procedures, that's all in FAR 19.

But if it's...

We're not asking you to protest everything in the world.

We're just telling you this company won and you don't have to respond at all unless you would like to challenge... their size status or small business status.

So if you think that they don't actually qualify as a small business or a HUBZone business or they're not actually veteran-owned or women-owned, this is your time to bring that up.

And this is kind of like a unit tasker of a paragraph.

Two more quick ones as an aside.

First, the socioeconomic programs like 8A, HUBZone, Women-Owned Small Business, all that, they're all key to the same size element to that same industry size standard.

So this proposal silently widens eligibility across every one of those programs without actually having to amend any of those rules specifically.

And the limitations on subcontracting at 13 CFR section 125.6 don't change at all.

She obtained New York state minority and women-owned business enterprise status.

SBA 8A, HUBZone, DubBank, and NMSDC certifications to open doors that banks would not.

She used subcontracting under larger prime contractors as tuition, learning how bigger firms budget, bid, and execute.

She turned to a community development financial institution for financing when the bank said no.