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HUBZone website says “no” to all: Faulty app deems applicants ineligible
A malfunction in the Small Business Administration’s online application for Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) participation is generating erroneous data and may be turning away eligible businesses, the agency said.
The online application’s mapping function currently informs all applicants—regardless of their location—that their business is not located in a qualified HUBZone. As a result, HUBZone-eligible business owners may be told they are ineligible.
The SBA recently posted a notice on the HUBZone website informing applicants about the malfunctioning HUBZone online application, and has advised applicants of a temporary work-around solution to the problem.
“The HUBZone electronic application is experiencing temporary technical difficulties,” the SBA notice states. “The mapping function within the application is notifying all applicants that they are NOT located within a qualified HUBZone. We regret this inconvenience and are working diligently to correct the problem within the next few days.”
“We note that the error occurs only after the firm starts the application process, and is within the actual application,” the agency said in its undated notice. Information was not immediately available on when the notice was published. The SBA did not respond to a request for comment.
To avoid the problem, the SBA is advising applicants to use a separate mapping function to verify that their business address is located in a HUBZone. The separate mapping function is located at http://map.sba.gov/hubzone/maps/
Once verified, the applicant should indicate a “disagreement” in the “dispute box” section of the application, the SBA said.
“Once an applicant has determined they are located within a qualified HUBZone, a disagreement should be placed within the “dispute box” in the application, indicating the website maps show the firm is in a HUBZone. And the firm should continue with their application submission,” the SBA notice said.
For more information:
HUBZone Help Desk at 202-205-8885
http://www.sba.gov/content/applying-hubzone-program
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