Historically Underutilized Business

About Historically Underutilized Business

The TCEQ is committed to purchasing and contracting with historically underutilized businesses (HUBs) and minority and woman-owned business enterprises (MBE/WBE). The purpose of the HUB program is to promote full and equal business opportunities for all businesses in state contracting. All state agencies and universities are required to make a good faith effort to include HUBs in procurement opportunities for goods and services. HUB certification increases exposure to solicitations for the procurement of goods and services by state agencies.

Vendors may be eligible for the State of Texas HUB Program if their business is located in the state of Texas and majority owned by an Asian Pacific American, African American, Hispanic American, Native American, and/or American Woman. HUB certification is free of charge and can be renewed every four years.

The TCEQ purchases a wide variety of goods and services. Examples of these items are:

For more information on the goods and services purchased by the TCEQ, please read our brochure " Selling Goods and Services to the TCEQ," (GI-238).

The TCEQ accesses the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts' Texas Procurement and Support Services (TPASS) Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL) and HUB Directory to locate businesses interested in bidding on TCEQ's purchases and contracts. Certified HUB vendors are automatically listed on the TPASS's HUB Directory for free. However, to maximize exposure to state agencies and universities, vendors should consider registering on the TPASS's CMBL. The CMBL is a mailing list for vendors to receive bids based on the products or services which can be provided to the state of Texas. Businesses can find out how to apply to be placed on the CMBL or HUB Directory.

HB 2918 repealed the Catalog Information System Vendor (CISV) program and transferred TXMAS Schedule 70 Information Technology Contracts to the Department of Information Resources (DIR) effective September 1, 2007. TXMAS Schedule 70 contracts will be available on the DIR website on September 1, 2007.

Vendors are no longer required to be approved as CISV to provide Information Technology/Information System (IT/IS) products or services to the State of Texas. Vendors are encouraged to maintain active status on the Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL) for receipt of bid opportunities. Mailing lists, based on the selection of class/item codes and highway districts, will be pulled for solicitation notification from the CMBL.

The TCEQ posts all solicitation over $25,000 on CPA's Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD). To browse for TCEQ's solicitations, select the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality under Agency Name and select Find.

HUB Subcontracting Plan

In accordance with Texas Gov't Code §2161.252 and Texas Administrative Code §111.14, each state agency (including institutions of higher education) as defined by §2151.002 that considers entering into a contract with an expected value of $100,000 or more shall, before the agency solicits bids, proposals, offers, or other applicable expressions of interest, determine whether subcontracting opportunities are probable under the contract.

If subcontracting opportunities are probable, each state agency's invitation for bids or other purchase solicitation documents for construction, professional services, other services, and commodities with an expected value of $100,000 or more shall state that probability and require a HUB Subcontracting Plan (HSP).

For assistance in completing the HSP and the EPA DBE forms, download the Completing the HSP and the EPA DBE forms Adobe Acrobat (PDF) document. Go to the HUB Subcontracting Plan page to access the complete library of HUB forms including an HSP form. For more information you may download a HSP Instructional Video from the Comptroller of Public Accounts website .

Economic Opportunity Forums

Economic Opportunity Forums (EOFs) provide numerous opportunities to disseminate and share information about public and private sector procurement, as well as increase networking opportunities with Texas-based small, minority, and women-owned businesses. These EOFs are sponsored by state and local government agencies, as well as minority/women development centers and trade organizations. To access the schedule of various EOFs held throughout the state, visit the TPASS EOF web site.

For more information on registering on the CMBL and HUB Directory, contact the TPASS:

• CMBL Registration
  Bid Services - 512/463-3459
• HUB Certification
  Business Services - 512/463-5872
  Toll free in Texas - 888/863-5881
• For more information on the TCEQ's HUB program, please contact:
  TCEQ HUB Program - 512/239-1273

For additional information, visit the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts' Texas Procurement and Support Services (TPASS) web site.