The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced an expansion of their HUBZone program in Illinois, which will provide low-income communities and residents opportunities to participate in federal contracting. The expansion of the HUBZone program makes Illinois the first state to have Governor-Designated Covered HUBZones. 

The expansion will provide accessibility to support resources and contracting programs for underserved communities. The program is set to work as a bridge for creating a more inclusive and even playing field. Not only will the program benefit small businesses, it will boost the local economy and provide jobs for locals in the state. 

Illinois is the first state to receive this approval of Governor-Designated Covered HUBZones, which extends the program privileges to five additional counties. The governor of Illinois will be able to request additional designations for other areas of the state, if they can qualify for the federal program.