Texas HUB certification: who qualifies and how to apply

Texas still certifies Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs), but the program has changed. It is now called VetHUB, short for Veteran Heroes United in Business, and it certifies businesses owned by service-disabled veterans. If you searched for Texas HUB certification, VetHUB is the program you apply to today.

What changed, in short

• New rules. The current rules took effect on May 12, 2026, replacing emergency rules from December 2, 2025.
• Old certificates. Certifications based on race, ethnicity or sex were revoked, unless the business proved ownership and control by service-disabled veterans.
• One door. Outside certifying partners no longer take applications. You apply to the Texas Comptroller directly.

The changes are being challenged in court, and a court order has already put some revoked businesses back. Check the Comptroller's VetHUB page for the current status before you rely on any rule.

See Texas HUB is now VetHUB for more on the change.

Who qualifies

Under the Comptroller's current requirements, a VetHUB must:

• Be at least 51% owned, managed and operated by Texas residents who are service-disabled veterans, with a service disability of at least 20%.
• Show that those owners control the day-to-day operations and hold titles that match their ownership and control.
• Be based mainly in Texas, with its principal place of business in Texas.
• Be a for-profit business that meets the SBA size standard for its industry.

Never claim VetHUB status until you are certified.

Cost, timing and how long it lasts

• Cost: certification is free.
• Review time: the Comptroller asks you to allow up to 90 days. Incomplete applications take longer.
• How long it lasts: up to four years, as long as the business keeps meeting the requirements.
• New owners: certification does not transfer when a business is sold or its owners change. Report the change to the VetHUB Program. New owners must apply on their own.

How to apply

1. Read the certification process page on the Comptroller's site.
2. Gather proof of ownership, control, Texas residence and the disability rating. A corporation shows its stock ledger, and an LLC its membership ledger.
3. Apply online through the Comptroller's VetHUB certification system. Paper, email, mail and in-person submissions are not accepted.
4. Answer questions quickly. A certification specialist reviews your file and sends any requests by email.
5. Check your listing. Once approved, your profile appears in the VetHUB Directory, and you can print your certificate from the certification portal. Keeping the profile accurate is your job.

VetHUB and the CMBL

They are two different lists, and both matter.

• The VetHUB Directory lists every active certified VetHUB. Being listed is free.
• The Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL) is the state's bidders list. Any business can join, even one based outside Texas. Registration costs $70 a year.
• State agencies use both to invite bids. If you want invitations, register on the CMBL too.
• One listing. If you are certified and pay for the CMBL in the same period, the two profiles combine. If your CMBL listing lapses first, you stay in the VetHUB Directory.
• NIGP codes. Texas state purchasing uses NIGP codes, not NAICS codes. Pick the ones that match what you really sell.

See Texas state bids: the ESBD and the CMBL.

VetHUB and subcontracting plans

This is where certification matters most. State agencies must consider a subcontracting plan for contracts expected to exceed $100,000, and must require one when subcontracting with VetHUBs is probable. People still call it the HUB subcontracting plan, or HSP.

• A prime that will subcontract must notify two VetHUBs for each subcontracting opportunity.
• Primes find those VetHUBs by searching the VetHUB Directory, so accurate codes bring you more notices.
• A business listed in the directory when the prime makes its outreach counts as a VetHUB for that plan.

See The Texas subcontracting plan for state bids of $100,000 and up.

Not the same as HUBZone

HUBZone is a federal SBA certification tied to economically disadvantaged areas. VetHUB is a Texas state program. The federal certification for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses also comes from SBA, with its own application. See Certifications: doors, not contracts.

In Victavio

Victavio finds Texas state bids on the ESBD that fit you and reads their files, including any subcontracting plan form. If you hold VetHUB certification, add it in Settings, under Workspace.