WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that it has approved 18 governors’ petitions since January 2025 to create new Governor-Designated Covered Areas under the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Program. These approvals establish 252 Governor-Designated Covered Areas, expanding access to HUBZone certification for eligible small businesses – particularly those in rural communities. HUBZone certification offers qualifying rural small businesses the opportunity to compete more effectively for federal contracts, creating new opportunities for small manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers to grow, hire, and invest in their communities.
“Working with state governors, the Trump SBA is expanding access to the HUBZone Program and opening new pathways for rural small businesses to compete for federal contracts,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “These new designations will help local manufacturers and suppliers grow, create jobs, and invest in their communities. I am grateful to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner for his partnership to expand the impact of the successful Opportunity Zone program by combining those investment incentives with HUBZone federal contracting in more communities to strengthen rural economies, rebuild domestic supply chains, and advance President Trump’s commitment to Made in America.”
Thirty states are now participating in the Governor-Designated HUBZone Initiative. Through the initiative, the SBA works with governors to designate qualifying rural areas where small businesses may seek HUBZone certification and compete for federal contracting opportunities. In reviewing petitions, the SBA worked with governors to align new Governor-Designated Covered Areas with Opportunity Zones where appropriate. Created under President Trump’s first-term Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Opportunity Zones are economically distressed communities designated to encourage long-term private investment and job creation.
By coordinating these designations, the Trump Administration is helping rural and underserved communities access both federal contracting opportunities and the private investment incentives available through Opportunity Zones. This approach strengthens local economies, supports onshoring and domestic manufacturing, and helps small businesses invest, hire, and grow in the communities they call home.
Under Administrator Loeffler, the SBA has approved governors’ petitions in the following 18 states:
- Indiana (new)
- Nevada (new)
- Hawaii (new)
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- New Mexico
- New York
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
