HUB Frequently Asked Questions

A state of Texas Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Certification requires at least 51 percent of the business be owned, managed, and operated by owner(s) who meet the qualified ethnicity requirement, or are a woman, or are a service-disabled-veteran (SDV) (with at least a 20 percent service disability as identified by the federal military department).

The HUB owner applicant(s) must also be residents of Texas, U.S. citizens (except for the SDV), and the business must be primarily based in Texas. The business must also meet the Small Business Administration (SBA) size standards set forth in the business categories of 13 CFR, section 121.201.

The HUB certification application system is located online. Your application must be completed through the online portal, and all supporting documents must be uploaded to verify HUB requirements. The application process and related communication is done through the HUB Certification portal.

Once your certification process is complete, you may sign into your HUB record in the HUB Certification Portal and print your certification. If you are certified by one of our MOAs, contact that entity to request access to your HUB certificate.

The Statewide HUB Program has officially designed a HUB Certified Vendor Logo to be used by actively certified HUB vendors for their marketing efforts. HUB Vendors will review and agree to follow the new vendor logo policy, report misuse of this logo and see the different types of downloadable files on the policy webpage.

Certification times may vary based on the volume of applications received. Texas Administrative Code, Title 34, Chapter 20.288(c) requires the Statewide HUB Program certification analysts to complete their review for denial or certification within 90 days of receiving a completed application.

A completed application includes the application and all supporting documents needed to verify all HUB qualifications are met. Application processing is on a first come, first serve basis and delays may be based on the number of applications submitted and awaiting processing.

The State of Texas HUB Certification is free. The statewide HUB program has 12 Memorandums of Agreements (MOAs) with other certification organizations who may charge a fee for their certification (MBE, SBE, DBE, or WBE). Upon your request, they may review your qualifications, verify you qualify for HUB, and issue you a HUB Certificate at no additional cost.

1. A Stock Issuance/Transfer Ledger is a document that identifies the owner(s) or shareholder(s) in a business structured as a corporation.
2. A Membership Issuance/Transfer Ledger is a document that identifies the owner(s) and tracks the stock/shares or membership units with percentage(s) issued to each owner(s) stock(s) and member units.
3. Both documents must be completed to identify each stock/share or membership with an owner to include the name, address certificate number, number of shares/units/or percentage ownership, and date each stock/share or membership became owner, original issue or transferred from one individual to another and amount paid/capital contribution.

No, the vendor profile only has space for one email and contact person to be listed.

No paper documents are accepted by email, post mail delivery, or in-person delivery. All HUB record submissions, actions, or communications must be completed/submitted in the vendor record of the HUB certification system.

There are two paths to get Statewide HUB Certified, one is through the Comptroller of Public Accounts Statewide HUB program and the other is through one of our 12 partner certification organizations (MOAs). Both options will provide HUB certification at no cost.

Notes: All HUB certifications awarded through our MOAs are the sole property of the MOA, and HUB is not able to make corrections to your business record. All HUB certifications awarded through our MOAs must be released by the MOA, and the Statewide HUB Program is not able to release that certificate.

No, any HUB certification ownership changes must be reported to the Statewide HUB Program. It is the responsibility of the HUB owner applicant to notify the Statewide HUB Program of the changes. The new owners must submit new HUB applications if they meet HUB Certification requirements. Failure to notify the Statewide HUB Program could result in the HUB owners being reported on the Vendor Performance Tracking System (VPTS) and barred from certifying a new business.

1. HUB Zone is a federal certification administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) for tapping into federally funded contracts based on economically disadvantaged business regions as defined by the federal government.
2. The Statewide HUB certification administered by the Comptroller of Public Accounts and is a good faith effort from state agencies and state universities to use in their procurement processes. See HUB requirements above.

1. The HUB Directory, is a list of all active HUBs certified through the Statewide HUB Program or any of its MOAs.
2. The Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL) is a list of any business interested in doing business with the state of Texas and does not have to be based in Texas. CMBL registration requires a $70 annual fee.
3. Both lists can be found in the CMBL system.

The National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) codes are the purchasing codes Texas purchasers use to identify their procurement needs. NAICS codes are not valid in state of Texas purchasing.

All HUB certification listings can be found in the “HUB Only” search option within the CMBL system. Any business interested in doing business with the state can register on the CMBL for an annual $70 fee. Once a vendor is HUB-certified and pays the fee for CMBL within the same period, the system will combine the HUB and CMBL profiles into one vendor listing and can be searched on the CMBL and/or the HUB Directory “HUB Only” option. The combined profiles will include all business and contact information with the HUB certification date and expiration. If the CMBL system listing expires before the HUB certification expires, the HUB will remain listed in the HUB Directory.