ST. CROIX — The Virgin Islands Small Business Development Center (SB.D.C.) will host a workshop on the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (also called HUBZone), on Wednesday, February 24 at the S.B.D.C. conference room in the Sion Farm Shopping Center here, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The registration fee is $10, according to a press release V.I.N.G. issued on Monday.
Major Geraldine P. Vaval, Virgin Islands National Guard supervisory contractspecialist, will conduct a presentation entitled “Procurement: How To Become HUBZone Certified.” The intent is to provide information on the benefits of becoming HUBZone certified and what is required to become certified.
The HUBZone program helps small businesses in urban and rural communities gain preferential access to federal procurement opportunities. According to the Small Business Administration (S.B.A.), the HUBZone program was enacted into law under the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 1997. The program falls under the auspices of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The S.B.A. regulates and implements the HUBZone program. S.B.A. determines which businesses are eligible to receive HUBZone contracts and maintains a listing of qualified HUBZone small businesses that federal agencies can use to locate vendors. The V.I. National Guard utilizes this listing as well.
According to the release, the Virgin Islands is in a HUBZone certified area. Major Vaval says businesses must be certified to be considered a HUBZone business. “It is not gotten merely by being in the territory,” she said.
For more information, go here.
Feature Image: Major Geraldine P. Vaval
Image Credit: V.I.N.G.
Tags: businesses, Major Geraldine P. Vaval, us virgin islands