HUB FAQs

A Historical Underutilized Business (HUB) Program was created to promote full and equal procurement opportunities for small, minority-and women-owned businesses.

A HUB is a corporation, sole proprietorship, partnership or a joint venture formed for the purpose of making a profit in which at least 51 percent ownership is by woman, minority and/or service disable veteran.

For additional information on the HUB Program, visit the Texas Comptroller’s HUB website.

To learn about becoming a HUB and HUB certification, visit our HUB Certification page or the Texas Comptroller's website for HUB Certification Application.

Although HUB certification is not a requirement to do business with the university, it may possibly increase your chances to be contacted for a bidding opportunity. UTSA encourages HUB certifiable businesses to become HUB certified. There is no fee to become certified, and the certification is valid for four years. Contact the HUB Office at (210) 458-4060 for more information.

A prime contractor can contact the HUB Program Office at (210) 458-4060 for assistance in finding certified HUB entities. Additional information and requirements can be found in the documents contained in the HUB Subcontracting Plan.

In all contracts for professional services, contracting services, and/or commodities with an expected value of $100,000 or more, UTSA will indicate in the purchase solicitation (e.g., RFQ, RFP, or CSP) whether or not UTSA has determined that subcontracting opportunities are probable in connection with the contract. A HUB subcontracting plan is a required element of the architect, contractor or vendor response to the purchase solicitation. The HUB subcontracting plan shall be developed and administered in accordance with the policy. Failure to submit a required HUB subcontracting plan will result in rejection of the response.

Yes, all prime vendors (non-HUB and HUB) are required to complete the HSP. The HSP is legislatively mandated and is designed in a manner so that prime vendors make an assertive effort to include Texas certified HUBs in their subcontracting initiatives.

Texas certified HUBs can be identified/verified via the Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL)/HUB Directory Search located on the Texas Comptroller’s website.

Tips and detailed explanations on how to use the CMBL/HUB Directory Search to create lists of potential vendors, as well as retrieve specific vendor information, are also available online.

A list of organizations and development centers is available on the Texas Comptroller’s website.

Yes, in lieu of having to fulfill the Good Faith Effort (GFE) of searching the CMBL/HUB directory for three HUB vendors to solicit for a specific subcontracting opportunity, the prime contractor may opt to use their Texas certified HUB protégé to perform the specific subcontracting opportunity (if it is within the protégé’s work capabilities). Note that if the prime vendor has other subcontracting opportunities where they will not use their Texas certified HUB protégé to perform, the HUB Subcontracting Plan provides detailed instructions regarding the requirement for searching the CMBL/HUB.

Yes

The HSP provides prime vendors several methods by which they can demonstrate GFE in compliance with TAC §20.285. Therefore, complete the HSP as instructed because your compliance (or non-compliance) with the instructions aides in determining whether GFE was met.

Yes

Responses that do not include a completed HUB subcontracting plan shall be rejected due to material failure to comply with TGC, §2161.252(b). If a properly submitted HUB subcontracting plan contains minor deficiencies (e.g., failure to sign or date the plan, failure to submit already-existing evidence that three HUBs were contacted), the institution may contact the respondent for clarification to the plan if it contains sufficient evidence that the respondent developed and submitted the plan in good faith.

It is important to reiterate: Complete the HSP as instructed as your compliance (or non-compliance) with the instructions aids in determining whether GFE was met.

Unless the contracting institution specified a different time period, you must allow the HUBs at least seven (7) working days to respond to the notice prior to you submitting your bid response to the contracting institution. A working day is considered a normal business day of an institution, not including weekends, federal or state holidays, or days the institution is declared closed by its executive officer. The initial day the subcontracting opportunity notice is sent/provided to the HUBs and to the trade organizations or development centers is considered to be “day zero” and does not count as one of the seven (7) working days.

It is best to contact the soliciting contracting institution’s HUB coordinator for assistance with an HSP, as they will be familiar with special instructions and requirements associated with the solicitation. The statewide HUB program office may also be able to assist in answering general questions regarding the HSP. A list of agency HUB coordinators is available online.

Each institution is different. You may want to consult the institution’s HUB coordinator and procurement manager. In determining whether subcontracting opportunities are probable to require an HSP, state agencies use the following steps:

1. Examine the scope of work to be performed under the proposed contract and determine if it is likely that some of the work may be performed by a subcontractor;
2. Research the CMBL, the HUB directory, the internet and other directories identified by the comptroller for HUBs that may be available to perform the contract work; and
3. A state agency may determine that subcontracting is probable for only a subset of the work expected to be performed or the funds to be expended under the contract. If a state agency determines that subcontracting is probable on only a portion of a contract, it shall document its reasons in writing for the procurement file.

Additionally, determination of subcontracting opportunities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Contacting other state and local agencies and institutions of higher education to obtain information regarding similar contracting and subcontracting opportunities; and
2. Reviewing the history of similar state agency purchasing transactions.