## Subpart 19.13—Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Program

### 19.1301 General.

(a) The Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Act of 1997 (15 U.S.C. 631 note) created the HUBZone Program.

(b) The purpose of the HUBZone Program is to provide Federal contracting assistance for qualified small business concerns located in historically underutilized business zones, in an effort to increase employment opportunities, investment, and economic development in those areas.

### 19.1302 Applicability.

The procedures in this subpart apply to all Federal agencies that employ one or more contracting officers.

### 19.1303 Status as a HUBZone small business concern.

(a) Status as a HUBZone small business concern is determined by the Small Business Administration (SBA) in accordance with 13 CFR Part 126.

(b) If the SBA determines that a concern is a HUBZone small business concern, it will issue a certification to that effect and will add the concern to the List of Qualified HUBZone Small Business Concerns at http://dsbs.sba.gov/dsbs/search/dsp_searchhubzone.cfm. Only firms on the list are HUBZone small business concerns, eligible for HUBZone preferences. HUBZone preferences apply without regard to the place of performance. Information on HUBZone small business concerns can also be obtained at www.sba.gov/hubzone or by writing to the Director for the HUBZone Program (Director/HUB) at U.S. Small Business Administration, 409 3rd Street, SW., Washington, DC 20416 or at hubzone@sba.gov.

(c) A joint venture may be considered a HUBZone small business concern if it meets the criteria in the explanation of affiliates (see 19.101).

(d) To be eligible for a HUBZone contract under this section, a HUBZone small business concern must be a HUBZone small business concern both at the time of its initial offer and at the time of contract award.

(e) A HUBZone small business concern may submit an offer for supplies as a nonmanufacturer if it meets the requirements of the nonmanufacturer rule set forth at 13 CFR 121.406(b)(1) and if the small business manufacturer providing the end item is also a HUBZone small business concern.

(1) There are no waivers to the nonmanufacturer rule for HUBZone contracts.

(2) For HUBZone contracts at or below $25,000 in total value, a HUBZone small business concern may supply the end item of any manufacturer, including a large business, so long as the product acquired is manufactured or produced in the United States.

### 19.1304 Exclusions.

This subpart does not apply to—

(a) Requirements that can be satisfied through award to—

(1) Federal Prison Industries, Inc. (see Subpart 8.6); or

(2) AbilityOne participating non-profit agencies for the blind or severely disabled (see Subpart 8.7);

(b) Orders under indefinite-delivery contracts (see subpart 16.5). (But see 16.505(b)(2)(i)(F) for discretionary set-asides of orders);

(c) Orders against Federal Supply Schedules (see subpart 8.4). (But see 8.405-5 for discretionary set-asides of orders);

(d) Requirements currently being performed by an 8(a) participant or requirements SBA has accepted for performance under the authority of the 8(a) Program, unless SBA has consented to release the requirements from the 8(a) Program;

(e) Requirements that do not exceed the micro-purchase threshold; or

(f) Requirements for commissary or exchange resale items.

### 19.1305 HUBZone set-aside procedures.

(a) The contracting officer—

(1) Shall comply with 19.203 before deciding to set aside an acquisition under the HUBZone Program;

(2) May set aside acquisitions exceeding the micro-purchase threshold for competition restricted to HUBZone small business concerns when the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section can be satisfied; and

(3) Shall consider HUBZone set-asides before considering HUBZone sole source awards (see 19.1306) or small business set-asides (see subpart 19.5).

(b) To set aside an acquisition for competition restricted to HUBZone small business concerns, the contracting officer must have a reasonable expectation that—

(1) Offers will be received from two or more HUBZone small business concerns; and

(2) Award will be made at a fair market price.

(c) If the contracting officer receives only one acceptable offer from a qualified HUBZone small business concern in response to a set aside, the contracting officer should make an award to that concern. If the contracting officer receives no acceptable offers from HUBZone small business concerns, the HUBZone set-aside shall be withdrawn and the requirement, if still valid, set aside for small business concerns, as appropriate (see 19.203).

(d) The procedures at 19.202-1 and, except for acquisitions not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, at 19.402 apply to this section.

(1) When the SBA intends to appeal a contracting officer’s decision to reject a recommendation of the SBA procurement center representative (or, if a procurement center representative is not assigned, see 19.402(a)) to set aside an acquisition for competition restricted to HUBZone small business concerns, the SBA procurement center representative shall notify the contracting officer, in writing, of its intent within 5 business days of receiving the contracting officer’s notice of rejection.

(2) Upon receipt of notice of SBA’s intent to appeal, the contracting officer shall suspend action on the acquisition unless the head of the contracting activity makes a written determination that urgent and compelling circumstances, which significantly affect the interests of the Government, exist.

(3) Within 15 business days of SBA’s notification to the contracting officer, SBA must file its formal appeal with the head of the agency, or the appeal will be deemed withdrawn. The head of the agency shall reply to SBA within 15 business days of receiving the appeal. The decision of the head of the agency shall be final.

### 19.1306 HUBZone sole source awards.

(a) A contracting officer shall consider a contract award to a HUBZone small business concern on a sole source basis (see 6.302-5(b)(5)) before considering a small business set-aside (see 19.203 and subpart 19.5), provided none of the exclusions at 19.1304 apply; and—

(1) The contracting officer does not have a reasonable expectation that offers would be received from two or more HUBZone small business concerns;

(2) The anticipated price of the contract, including options, will not exceed—

(i) $6.5 million for a requirement within the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes for manufacturing; or

(ii) $4 million for a requirement within all other NAICS codes;

(3) The requirement is not currently being performed by an 8(a) participant under the provisions of Subpart 19.8 or has been accepted as a requirement by SBA under Subpart 19.8;

(4) The acquisition is greater than the simplified acquisition threshold (see Part 13);

(5) The HUBZone small business concern has been determined to be a responsible contractor with respect to performance; and

(6) Award can be made at a fair and reasonable price.

(b) The SBA has the right to appeal the contracting officer’s decision not to make a HUBZone sole source award.

### 19.1307 Price evaluation preference for HUBZone small business concerns.

(a) The price evaluation preference for HUBZone small business concerns shall be used in acquisitions conducted using full and open competition. The preference shall not be used—

(1) Where price is not a selection factor so that a price evaluation preference would not be considered (e.g., Architect/Engineer acquisitions); or

(2) Where all fair and reasonable offers are accepted (e.g., the award of multiple award schedule contracts).

(b) The contracting officer shall give offers from HUBZone small business concerns a price evaluation preference by adding a factor of 10 percent to all offers, except—

(1) Offers from HUBZone small business concerns that have not waived the evaluation preference; or

(2) Otherwise successful offers from small business concerns.

(c) The factor of 10 percent shall be applied on a line item basis or to any group of items on which award may be made. Other evaluation factors, such as transportation costs or rent-free use of Government property, shall be added to the offer to establish the base offer before adding the factor of 10 percent.

(d) When the two highest rated offerors are a HUBZone small business concern and a large business, and the evaluated offer of the HUBZone small business concern is equal to the evaluated offer of the large business after considering the price evaluation preference, the contracting officer shall award the contract to the HUBZone small business concern.

### 19.1308 Performance of work requirements (limitations on subcontracting) for general construction or construction by special trade contractors.

(a) Before issuing a solicitation for general construction or construction by special trade contractors, the contracting officer shall determine if at least two HUBZone small business concerns can spend at least 50 percent of the cost of contract performance to be incurred for personnel on their own employees or subcontract employees of other HUBZone small business concerns.

(b) The clause at 52.219-3, Notice of HUBZone Set-Aside or Sole Source Award, or 52.219-4, Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns, shall be used, as applicable, with its Alternate I to waive the 50 percent requirement (see 19.1309) if at least two HUBZone small business concerns cannot meet the conditions of paragraph (a); but, the HUBZone prime contractor can still meet the following—

(1) For general construction, at least 15 percent of the cost of the contract performance to be incurred for personnel using the concern’s employees; or

(2) For construction by special trade contractors, at least 25 percent of the cost of contract performance to be incurred for personnel using the concern’s employees.

(c) See 13 CFR 125.6 for definitions of terms used in paragraph (a) of this section.

### 19.1309 Contract clauses.

(a) The contracting officer shall insert the clause 52.219-3, Notice of HUBZone Set-Aside or Sole Source Award, in solicitations and contracts for acquisitions that are set aside, or reserved for, or awarded on a sole source basis to, HUBZone small business concerns under 19.1305 or 19.1306. This includes multiple-award contracts when orders may be set aside for HUBZone small business concerns as described in 8.405-5 and 16.505(b)(2)(i)(F).

(1) The contracting officer shall use the clause with its Alternate I to waive the 50 percent requirement if the conditions at 19.1308(b) apply.

(2) If a waiver is granted, the HUBZone small business prime contractor must still meet the performance of work requirements set forth in 13 CFR 125.6(c).

(b) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at FAR 52.219-4, Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns, in solicitations and contracts for acquisitions conducted using full and open competition.

(1) The contracting officer shall use the clause with its Alternate I to waive the 50 percent requirement if the conditions at 19.1308(b) apply.

(2) If a waiver is granted, the HUBZone small business prime contractor must still meet the performance of work requirements set forth in 13 CFR 125.6(c).