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Our commitment.
In keeping with the University of Houston System's commitment to promote the successful development of minority and women-owned businesses, improve the
local economies, and enrich the quality of life in our service regions, we have established the UH System Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Program.
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The mission of the HUB Program is:
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1. a for-profit corporation or partnership which is 51 percent owned by one or more persons who have been historically underutilized because of their identification as women or as members of certain minority groups, including Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, and Native Americans who have suffered the effects of discriminatory practices or similar insidious circumstances over which they have no control,
2. a sole proprietorship wholly owned by such a person,
3. a joint venture in which each entity is a HUB, or
4. a supplier contract between a HUB and a prime contractor.
HUB Vendor List (Microsoft Excel File, 136KB)
The UH System HUB Program identifies new HUB vendors in many ways, and we are constantly seeking to improve our outreach. To expand our list, we field telephone inquiries, attend and sponsor job fairs and seminars, and participate in community organizations that represent minority and women-owned businesses, such as Houston Business Council, National Association of Women Business Owners, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Citizens Chamber of Commerce, Association of Urban Entrepreneurs, Asian American Chamber of Commerce, Urban League, and the National Minority Supplier Development Council.
In addition, the UH System searches other organizations+ HUB databases for qualified vendors, works with existing contractors to identify HUBs, and takes part in professional and civic associations as well as groups that interface with the HUB community. We keep in close contact with government offices and companies with established programs, including HISD, City of Houston, METRO, Exxon, Southwestern Bell, and other higher education institutions such as the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the UT System.
Once identified, HUB applicants are invited to contact the UH System HUB Coordinator’s office at 713-743-5670 or e-mail to danill@central.uh.edu
At that time, vendors are provided the information needed to do business with the UH System, which includes an overview of the main products and services we purchase, our award evaluation criteria, and general guidelines for responding to an Invitation to Bid. Vendors are then directed to the purchasing offices of the four universities and the system administration, each of which meets the unique purchasing needs of its institution, and are invited to contact and become acquainted with university purchasing agents.
Spreading the word
This entire program is geared to enhancing the ability of HUBs to compete for contracts and purchases, and this brochure is one of many ways we are heightening awareness of HUBs both within and outside the UH System. We also conduct continuing education programs that introduce internal users, central procurement buyers, and departmental buyers to the UH System HUB Program and its goals and objectives.
We utilize the State’s Central Master Bid List (CMBL) to identify HUB vendors and strongly encourage minority and women owned businesses to become state certified as HUB vendors. If you are interested in State Certification please contact the Texas Building and Procurement Commission at 512-463-3035.
Evaluating bids
Each university's Purchasing Department evaluates bid responses received based upon standard evaluation criteria and makes the award to the vendor offering the best bid to the institution. When the bid responses from a HUB vendor and a non-HUB vendor are equal and the HUB vendor is a certified State of Texas HUB vendor, the award will be made to the HUB vendor.
