It is the policy of all UT System component institutions to promote full and equal opportunity for all businesses to supply goods and services needed to support institutional mission, administrative, and logistical operations. The University of Texas at Austin maintains the commitment to increasing the number of contracts awarded to small businesses, and those owned by women, service disabled veterans, and minorities, by creating a fair and open competitive market and improving community awareness through its Historically Underutilized Business/Small Business (HUB/SB) Program Office.
This office administers the State of Texas HUB Program, the Federal Small Business Program, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program for the university. Although the three programs share common goals of promoting job growth, capital investment, and economic development through contracting opportunities, the programs are separate and distinct from one another.
The HUB/SB Program Office performs the following primary tasks for each of the aforementioned programs:
- Policy Implementation – Provides oversight and assistance with development of the university’s policy to place a fair proportion of its acquisitions with all categories of historically underutilized and small business concerns.
- Acquisition Advocacy – Works closely with program, technical, and contracting personnel at the university to ensure procurement strategies are fair and open in regard to historically underutilized businesses and small business concerns.
- Intra- and Inter-Agency Liaison – Works within the university community to promote HUB/SB programs and initiatives and to keep university personnel informed concerning policies and procedures; works with other agencies and the business community to foster business relationships and enhance the reputation of the university.
- Outreach and Counseling – Educates the university community on program goals and policy implementation; educates the business community on the university’s procurement process.