HUB Information

Sam Houston State University's
Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) Goals & Strategies

GOAL/MISSION - Sam Houston State University will comply with both "the letter and the spirit" and with all applicable laws, regulations and executive orders related to Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs). It is the goal of the University to foster a positive and working relationship with HUBs whenever possible.

Objective - Sam Houston State University will make a good faith effort to assist historically underutilized businesses to receive opportunities for awards on purchase of construction, professional services, supplies, materials, equipment, and services, including those relating to the issuance of bonds. Sam Houston State University will develop a written HUB Advocacy Program (HUBAP) to carry out these commitments.

Strategy - The President will appoint a HUB Coordinator who will have the responsibility for monitoring and lending assistance to all programs dealing with HUBs.

  The HUB Coordinator will:
•  Keep the President and all division heads informed of the latest development in the area of HUBs;
•  Update the University HUBAP as necessary.
•  Develop models of education in reach and outreach activities for use by the University in development of the HUB program.
•  Share successful methods of increasing the participation of HUBs with departments and other agencies.
•  Serve as liaison between universities' computer services to ensure accuracy and timely availability of data.
•  Review all HUB related reports prepared by the University's Computer Services Department.
•  Develop and update policy statements.
•  Monitor the University's goals and objectives.
•  Document and submit good faith efforts to the President.
•  Maintain reports on HUB activity for future reference.
•  Develop new strategies to increase HUB participation.
•  Other duties and responsibilities listed in TAC111.26.

Strategy - The Director of Physical Plant will appoint a HUB Coordinator for Physical Plant's Board of Regents projects who will have responsibility for implementing all programs dealing with HUB activities relating to construction.

  The HUB Coordinator for Physical Plant's Board of Regents projects will:
•  Report good faith efforts in the field of construction to the HUB Coordinator.
•  Serve as liaison between the Physical Plant University HUB Coordinator and The Texas State University System HUB Coordinator.
•  Administer record-keeping systems (monthly updates to the President and division heads) that will measure the effectiveness of this program and report the progress on Good Faith Efforts to the HUB Coordinator.
•  Coordinate the completion and filing of all reports required by law through the HUB Coordinator.
•  Keep administrators of the University informed of the latest developments in the area of construction relating to HUBs.
• Review and approve HUB subcontracting plans related to construction projects through the System HUB Coordinator at The Texas State University System.
• Hold pre-proposal conferences in which the HUB Subcontracting Plan will be addressed for all Board of Regents projects.

Strategy - In order to implement the University HUBAP, the component HUB program shall include, to the greatest extent possible, good faith efforts.

•  Ensure that the Texas HUB Certification Electronic Database provided by The Texas Procurement and Support Services ("TPASS") is accessible to all employees and encourage use of the directory in procurement activities.
•  Provide access to procurement policies and procedures to HUBs in an effective process so as to encourage participation of those businesses.
•  Develop and participate in educational outreach activities, such as:
•  Staging periodic trade fairs to HUBs to demonstrate their products and services to potential buyers.
•  Actively working with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to encourage potential HUBs to go through the HUB Certification Program under the SBDC Certification Program.
•  Invite other agencies to HUB Vendor Forums which are given to our purchasers.
•  Participate in programs that consolidate information (example: The Walker County Alliance - web site) about upcoming contracting opportunities and allow potential bidders to discover upcoming opportunities.
•  Actively encourage potential contractors to use HUB subcontractors through wording in bid and proposal documents and through information given at pre-bid conferences, meetings.

Strategy - Compliance with state law; current state law requires that all purchases, except as specifically provided, be based whenever possible on competitive bids.

Strategy - Reporting requirements; a copy of the goals, objectives, and strategies will be included in the University Strategic Plan as required by Texas Government Code, Sec. 2161.123.

  The General Services Act requires that a consolidated report be issued by TPASS based, in part, on information provided by each state agency. In accordance with this requirement, each component will;

1.  Continuously maintain, and compile monthly, information relating to its use and the use of HUBs by each operating division of the component, including information regarding subcontractors and suppliers.
2.  Report to TPASS through the HUB Coordinator the total number and dollar amount of the purchases of goods and services awarded and actually paid from non-treasury funds by the component. This report will be in a form prescribed by TPASS and will be due no later than March 15 for the previous six-month period and September 15 for the previous fiscal year.
3.  Report to TPASS through the HUB Coordinator the total number and dollar amount of certified HUB subcontracting in all of the component's contracts for the purchase of goods and services. This report may include subcontracting participation paid from treasury and non-treasury funds. The report will be due not later than March 15 for the previous six-month period and September 15 for the previous fiscal year. 4.  All HUB Subcontracting Plans and Contracts for Construction (over $100,000.00) will be reviewed and approved by the System HUB Coordinator.

Strategy - System Office shall file a report related to bond issuance and items financed by bonds, as required by Section 55.03 Texas Education Code. The report shall contain the following information:

1.   Total number of contracts and dollar amount of each contract relating to the issuance of bonds by the Board under Chapter 55 and to the items to be financed by those bonds; and
2.   Total number of businesses submitting bids or proposals relating to the issuance of bonds and to the items to be financed by those bonds.

Strategy - Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) Advocacy Program; Sam Houston State University is a residential state supported institution, providing both undergraduate and graduate education through five doctoral programs. The University is organized into five colleges: The College of Arts and Sciences, The College of Business Administration, The College of Education and Applied Sciences, The College of Criminal Justice, and The College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The University offers seventy-nine bachelors, forty-eight masters, and five doctoral programs.

Procurement opportunities include supplies, materials, services, equipment, construction contracting and professional services. Sam Houston State University is committed to both "the letter and spirit" to make a Good Faith Effort to assist HUBs in the procurement process in accordance with the goals and rules established under law by the Texas Procurement and Support Servies 2161.003 - Agency Rules (TAC 111.15)

Strategy - Purchasing Procedures: The rules that govern Sam Houston State University purchasing can be located on the following web sitehttp://www.shsu.edu/administrative/policies/forms under purchasing policies.

HUB Advocacy Plan
The Intention
FY2008

Mission - It is the intention of Sam Houston State University to develop and expand a HUB Program that will assist small, minority, and woman-owned business to do business with the State of Texas . Employees within the University are educated on the State HUB Program through the Purchasing Department. Every two years a comprehensive training class is provided to each purchasing representative/s within the faculty and staff departments. The training class reviews all purchasing policies and procedures. The HUB Program is also covered in detail within the training class. At the end of the training class all representatives' sign an acknowledgement form indicating they clearly understand the HUB/Purchasing policies and procedures. Upon successful completion of the training class a certificate is given to each representative.

  The University is totally supportive of Senate Bill 178, and will comply with both "the letter and the spirit "of the law. The University looks forward to the opportunities and challenges set forth in Senate Bill 178.

Executive Summary

Sam Houston State University has established an "Action Plan" for its HUB Program which is updated at the beginning of each fiscal year. The Action Plan consists of both internal and external objectives to foster growth in the University's HUB Program. The plan consists of on-going objectives as well as new objectives for the up-coming year.

University's Action Plan

• Advertise bids, on the Walker County HUB Alliance web page.
  The University has established a web page to assist HUB's in obtaining bid proposals through a simple web site format.
• Assist the Small Business Development Center in reaching non-certified HUB's in the community by directing qualified businesses to them and encourage them to become HUB certified through Purchasing's Annual HUB Forum.
  The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has been a very effective tool in walking potential certified HUBs through the process of becoming HUB certified. On several occasions the SBDC has held evening classes to discuss many of the advantages of potential HUB's becoming HUB certified.
• Provide training bi-annually (minimum) to departments concerning the University's HUB requirements and goals (internal workshop), as well as the purchasing policies and procedures.
  This training program has proven to be very successful. The training covers a check list of topics and each trainee is required to sign a written acknowledgement upon completion that he understands his duties and responsibilities in ensuring a "Good Faith Effort" is made with HUBs.
• Offer one Historically Underutilized Business Vendor Fair per year.
  Our Vendors Fairs have been effective from its inception. There have been several years our booths (over eighty) have been sold out one month prior to the vendor fair date.
• During SHSU's Annual HUB Vendor Fair, act as a liaison between the University and HUB businesses including helping businesses to understand the University's procurement processes, explanation of the CMBL and benefits of HUB certification and registration, and distributing "How to Do Business with SHSU" document.
• Attend HUB forums within our region and provide an opportunity for spot purchases to the vendors attending the HUB forums.
  Several awards have been issued through Spot Bid Fairs.
• Develop competition between the six executive divisions within the University on their monthly HUB percentages and "Good Faith Effort" with HUB's.
  This is an ongoing initiative that has been very instrumental in keeping all divisions updated on their progress and where they stand with their peers.
• Schedule three HUB vendor forums annually with the purchasing department and departments that may have an interest in their products or services.
  Several of these forums are scheduled throughout the year. This has been a good educational tool for both the purchasers and the departments.
• Advertise major construction projects in a HUB/Minority publication.
  This is standard procedure for all construction projects over $100,000.00.
• Foster the on-going Mentor-Protégé program with WW Grainger Inc. and Burgoon Company.
  The mentor-protégé program has gone well and we have seen a steady growth in the Burgoon Company.
• Maintain membership with the Texas Universities HUB Coordinators Alliance (TUHCA) and attend quarterly meetings.
• Continue HUB advertising campaign in the Houston Minority Business Council Network (full page), Hispanic Journal (1/2 page) and Minority Business News USA (Woman's Enterprise Texas Magazine) (1/2 page) with other universities in the TUHCA.
• Include coverage of CMBL and accessing HUB vendor lists on the "Checklist for Training Sessions with Departments" that training attendees sign.  This will help train the end users to use the State's CMBL list as a tool to identify HUB vendors who can supply needed products or services.
• Educate departments within the University to access HUB vendor list.
  

   

NEW INITATIVES IN THE UNIVERSITY'S ACTION PLAN

• Post trade organizations and development centers on the Walker County Alliance Web-Site.
  Due to the new requirement regarding the Hub Subcontracting Plan and as a courtesy to our vendors the purchasing department has posted trade organizations and development centers on the Walker County Web site.
• Expanding the University's HUB forums by inviting other neighboring agencies to attend and respond likewise to their HUB forums.
  In visiting with the HUB Coordinator at the Texas Department of Corrections we concurred it would be beneficial to both agencies to attend each other's HUB forums given by an individual vendor.
• Expand the HUB Program into Institutions of Higher Education's (E&I) 'Group Purchasing Program." The Purchasing Department is working closely with The Educational & Institutional Cooperative Purchasing Organization to employ HUB vendors to become part of the group purchasing process. This can be accomplished by either through a Mentor Protégée Program or by subcontracting certified HUBs with some of the major suppliers actively under E&I contracts. At the present time E&I has teamed up Steelcase furniture with a local vendor, HBI office Solutions which is a certified HUB.
• Develop a program to encourage contractors to use HUB vendors as business partners.
  At each pre-proposal conference where there are opportunities for subcontracting, an allotted time will be set aside to inform and encourage contractors to employ certified HUB subcontractors when ever possible.

HUB Reporting
How does the HUB Report assist state agencies and institutions of higher education?

By using the HUB Report, the University can track their expenditures and utilize it as a benchmarking tool to meet or exceed their HUB utilization in each of the following categories:

University Program of HUB Forums

The University has developed forums in which historically underutilized businesses (HUBs) are invited
to Sam Houston State University to deliver technical and business presentations that demonstrate their capability to do business with the university.

Attending these forums will be:

• Procurement personnel and department representatives who may use the products
  or services. Other representatives from State, city and county entities.
• Contractors/vendors with the university who may be subcontracting for goods and
  services of a type supplied by HUBs.

The University's forums are organized by the HUB Coordinator in the following format:

• The forums will sponsor presentation by HUBs on the University campus.
• The HUB Coordinator shall identify and invite HUBs to make marketing
  presentations on the types of goods and services they provide.
• Other neighboring entities will be invited to the forums.
• The University may also elect to co-sponsor a forum with another state agency.
• The HUB Coordinator will direct HUBs to key staff within the agency.
• The Hub Coordinator will inform HUBs about potential contract opportunities
  and future awards.
• Both the forums and in-house marketing forums will be documented annually
  for each fiscal year.
  

  Links to Certified HUBs:

• Centralized Master Bidders List Including Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB's)

  Bid Opportunities:

  Walker County Alliance
  http://www.shsu.edu/~pur_www/wca/index.html
  Electronic State Business Daily
  http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us

Hub Subcontracting Plan

In accordance with Texas Gov't Code (TGC) §2161.252 and Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Tiel 1, Part 5, Chapter 11, Subchapter B, Rule 111.14, each state agency (including institutions of higher education) as defined by TGC 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).

In an effort to improve vendor compliance when completing the HUB Subcontracting Plan, TPASS has created and posted an audio file that explains, in a step by step method, how to accurately complete the HUB Subcontracting Plan (HSP).  This is an especially useful tool when there is no pre-bid or pre-proposal conference that vendors will see the HSP while simultaneously hearing complete, concise, and step by step instructions on how to accurately complete the HSP.  The link to the TPASS website MP3 file on how to accurately complete the HSP is:

The video is located at http://www.cpa.state.tx.us/procurement/prog/hub/hub-subcontracting-plan/ and http://www.cpa.state.tx.us/procurement/prog/hub/hub-forms/. 

• University Contacts:

John C. Hitzeman
HUB Coordinator
Phone: (936) 294-1900
E-mail: pur_jch@shsu.edu

John McCroskey
HUB Coordinator for Physical Plant
Phone: (936) 294-4970
E-mail: ppl_jfm@shsu.edu

Kristie Kelarek

Assistant

Phone (936) 294-1901

E-mail: klk008@shsu.edu