The U.S. Small Business Administration has designated San Juan County a HUBZone, which gives an edge to businesses in San Juan County competing for federal contracts.

HUBZone is the abbreviation for Historically Underutilized Business Zone. Similar to the SBA 8(a) Business Development Program, the HUBZone program is designed to stimulate economic development and create jobs in urban and rural communities by providing federal contracting preferences to small businesses.

These preferences go to small businesses that obtain HUBZone certification in part by employing staff who live in a HUBZone. The company must also maintain a principal office in one of these specially designated areas.

To qualify for the program, a business must meet the following criteria:

1. It must be a small business by SBA standards.

2. It must be owned and controlled at least 51 percent by U.S. citizens, or a Community Development Corporation, or an agricultural cooperative or an American Indian tribe.

3. Its principal office must be located within a Historically Underutilized Business Zone, which includes lands considered Indian Country.

4. At least 35 percent of its employees must reside in a HUBZone.

Federal contracting agencies are required to set aside 3 percent of contracting dollars for the HUBZone Program. Only small businesses that are HUBZone-certified may bid on the federal contracts set aside for HUBZone, thus reducing competition with large businesses as well as other small businesses that are not HUBZone-certified.

For more information about the HUBZone program, visit www.sba.gov/hubzone. Or contact Victoria Compton at the San Juan County Economic Development Council, 540 Guard St., Suite 110, Friday Harbor. Call 378-2906. Visit www.sanjuansedc.org.