Hartford, CT – Governor Ned Lamont and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) New England Regional Administrator Mike Vlacich on Feb 23rd, held a news conference in Torrington to announce the approval of Connecticut’s newest governor-designated Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone). The SBA has approved Governor Lamont’s petition to add a HUBZone in Torrington, expanding access and eligibility to SBA’s HUBZone program to the small businesses in the covered areas. (Click here to view areas that the SBA has added to the HUBZone Map.)

The SBA’s HUBZone program fuels small business growth in historically underutilized business zones with a goal of awarding at least 3% of federal contract dollars to HUBZone-certified companies each year. The federal government limits competition for certain contracts to businesses in historically underutilized business zones. It also gives preferential consideration to those businesses in full and open competition. The HUBZone program makes businesses eligible to compete for set-aside contracts and get a 10% price evaluation preference in full and open contract competitions.

“Through the SBA’s HUBZone program, small businesses in Connecticut can contract with the federal government and supply them with goods and services produced in our state by our workforce,” Governor Lamont said. “I strongly encourage anyone who owns a small business or is thinking about starting a small business in a HUBZone to reach out to the SBA and get connected to these resources.”

“On behalf of the SBA, I am grateful for Governor Lamont’s efforts to expanding access to the HUBZone program, which creates opportunities for firms to partner directly with the federal government – the largest buyer of goods and services in the United State and the world,” Regional Administrator Vlacich said.  “I look forward to welcoming new businesses from Connecticut into the HUBZone program and into the federal marketplace. We appreciate Connecticut and Governor Lamont’s support of the small business community.”

Joining Governor Lamont and Regional Administrator Vlacich at Feb 23rd’s news conference were U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Torrington Mayor Elinor Carbone, Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Alexandra Daum, SBA District Director Catherine Marx, and Chamber of Commerce of Northwest Connecticut President JoAnn Ryan.

“Currently, Connecticut has 170 HUBZones in census tracts and 19 certified companies,” Catherine Marx, director of the SBA’s Connecticut District Office, said. “The announcement on Feb 23rd, and the subsequent programs will bring more awareness to the benefits of being a certified HUBZone firm.”

In the coming days, the SBA’s Connecticut District Office will host two HUBZone business opportunity events, including:

• Wednesday, March 8, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.: SBA meet and greet at Torrington Town Hall (140 Main Street, Torrington)
• Tuesday, March 14, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.: Connecticut HUBZone virtual information session (free registration at SBA.GOV/CT)

To qualify for the HUBZone program, businesses must be a small business according to SBA size standards, be at least 51% owned and controlled by U.S. citizens, a community development corporation, an agricultural cooperative, an Alaska Native corporation, a Native Hawaiian organization, or an Indian tribe, and have its principal office located in a HUBZone with at least 35% of its employees living in a HUBZone.