Council History

The HUBZone Contractors National Council, Inc., is a District of Columbia non-profit corporation established to support the HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program which was created by the HUBZone Act of 1997, Title VI of Public Law 105-135.

The concept of creating a trade association that would work to ensure the best possible implementation and development of the HUBZone program began in the summer of 1999 with a series of emails among several HUBZone-certified firms.  It soon became clear that there was significant interest in forming an association.
 
The need for such an organization became even clearer as the early months of Fiscal Year 2000 began with very little HUBZone contracting activity.  Few awards were occurring, despite the requirement of the law that a significant number of contracting dollars from federal departments and agencies covered by the program be awarded to HUBZone-certified contractors. 

Representatives from nine HUBZone-certified firms met, discussed the need, determined the focus, and formed the HUBZone Contractors National Council in February 2000.
 

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Council is to further the HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program.  The Council strives to:

• monitor public policy and promote actions that support the well-being of the HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program
• seek public policies that support, enhance, and expand business opportunities for firms that have been certified as HUBZone firms by the U.S. Small Business Administration
• provide a forum for HUBZone firms to discuss issues of mutual interest
• provide and promote services of interest to HUBZone firms, such as training and workshops; and
• reinforce relations among HUBZone firms, government agencies, and other businesses.

The Council has been successful in advocating for improvements in the HUBZone program.  There are now more than 9,000 HUBZone-certified contractors and the value of federal contracts awarded to HUBZone firms exceeds $10 billion per year.

Council members are located in 45 states and territories and represent a wide variety of industries, including:

• construction services
• manufacturing services
• wholesale and retail services
• transportation services
• professional and technical services
• administrative support services
• waste management services
• educational services
• repair and maintenance services
   

The Future

The Council celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2010.  With the recent addition of a professional staff, the formerly volunteer-run association is poised to expand in membership size, services offered, and influence upon government representatives to further its mission to enhance the effectiveness of the HUBZone program and continue to rebuild economically-challenged regions of the United States.