The state's Historically Underutilized Business program changed in 2025 and 2026. Certification now runs through VetHUB, for businesses owned by service-disabled veterans. Here is what the Comptroller says.
Apply Now →If you remember Texas HUB certification as a program for minority-owned and woman-owned businesses, that is no longer how it works. According to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, the program is now VetHUB, Veteran Heroes United in Business. It focuses on certifying service-disabled veterans to help their businesses grow and to increase HUB contracts and subcontracts with the state of Texas.
The Comptroller's FAQ says the rules for administering VetHUB under the historically underutilized business statute are in 34 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 20, Subchapter D, Division 1. They took effect May 12, 2026, replacing emergency rules effective December 2, 2025. The Comptroller also states that it revoked all businesses previously certified based on race, ethnicity or sex, unless they proved ownership and control by service-disabled veterans.
Per the Comptroller's certification pages, a VetHUB business must meet all of the following:
| Item | What the Comptroller says |
|---|---|
| Certification fee | Free |
| How long certification lasts | Up to four years, as long as the business keeps meeting eligibility |
| Review time | Allow up to 90 days; longer if the application is incomplete |
| How to submit | Online through the VetHUB Certification Portal; no paper, email or in-person submissions |
| Partner certifications | Memoranda of Agreement with outside certifying entities were terminated; new applicants apply directly |
Corporations and LLCs should expect to document ownership in detail. The FAQ describes stock or membership issuance and transfer ledgers that list each owner, shares or units, dates and capital contributions.
Certified businesses are listed in the online Texas VetHUB Directory. The Comptroller says state agencies use that directory together with the Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL) to solicit bids, and prime contractors use it to find VetHUBs for subcontracting notices. The Comptroller also notes that state entities can directly contact a business for purchases of $10,000 or less, and that vendors search the directory for subcontracting plans on projects of $100,000 or more.
Where a state agency has identified probable subcontracting opportunities in a solicitation, the Comptroller says a bid must include a VetHUB subcontracting plan to be considered responsive. That makes certified veteran-owned subcontractors valuable to primes bidding state work.
The VetHUB Directory lists certified businesses. The CMBL is a broader list of any business that wants to sell to the state of Texas, and it does not have to be based in Texas. The Comptroller lists a $70 annual fee for CMBL registration. Purchasers find bid opportunities through NIGP commodity codes, and the FAQ notes that NAICS codes are not valid in state of Texas purchasing. If you are not a service-disabled veteran, the CMBL is still the route to state bid notices.
Do not confuse VetHUB with the federal HUBZone program. The Comptroller describes HUBZone as a federal certification administered by the SBA based on economically disadvantaged regions, while VetHUB is a state certification.
Winning public work changes a company's cash cycle. Crews, materials and insurance are paid up front, while state agencies and primes pay on their own invoice schedules. For illustration only: a subcontractor that adds a $200,000 state-funded job may carry several weeks of labor and materials before its first payment arrives. Texas Biz Funding provides $25,000 to $5,000,000 in business funding with a five-minute application, a soft credit pull, and funding in as little as 24 hours. It is not tied to certification status, and sole proprietors can apply. Start an application if a contract award is stretching your working capital.
Not on that basis. The Comptroller states it revoked businesses certified based on race, ethnicity or sex unless they proved ownership and control by service-disabled veterans. VetHUB certification now requires service-disabled veteran ownership.
The Comptroller requires a service-related disability of 20 percent or greater, as identified by the federal military department, held by Texas resident owner(s) of at least 51 percent of the business.
The Comptroller's FAQ says contracts in existence before the new rules took effect are not affected, and agencies are not required to terminate or modify existing contracts.
Certification is free. The Comptroller asks applicants to allow up to 90 days for review, longer for incomplete applications, and certification is good for up to four years while eligibility continues.
No. Certification is not required to apply for funding from Texas Biz Funding.
Three months of business bank statements and a 5-minute application. FICO 500+ considered. $25,000 to $5,000,000, funded in as little as 24 hours.
Apply Now →It takes about two minutes and it will not affect your credit score.
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