Notice to All DBE/ACDBE Firms:
Effective October 3, 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) that immediately changes the operation of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concession DBE (ACDBE) Programs nationwide.
What This Means:
- • All DBE certifications will be reevaluated under new federal eligibility standards.
- • Until reevaluations are complete, existing DBE certifications are not valid for contracting purposes, and DBE participation cannot be counted toward goals.
- • The South Central Texas Regional Certification Agency and all subrecipients have paused the acceptance and processing of the DBE/ACDBE Federal Program until further notice.
Next Steps for DBE Firms:
- • You will be contacted by TX DOT and/or your certifying agency with instructions to complete recertification.
- • Be prepared to provide a personal narrative, a Personal Net Worth (PNW) statement, and other supporting documents.
- • Please do not submit new certification applications or change requests on existing certifications until further notice.
The South Central Texas Regional Certification Agency is working closely with the U.S. DOT and TX DOT to establish a clear process for these changes.
Notice of Suspension of Texas HUB Certifications:
The Texas Comptroller’s announcement on December 5, 2025, marks the conclusion of the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program after twenty-five years. This change represents a significant shift in Texas public procurement, moving away from race- and gender-based preferences and focusing instead on service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.
This transition impacts more than 15,000 businesses statewide, including women-owned, Black-owned, Hispanic-owned, and other minority-owned firms. A new certification program, Vet HUB, is now available exclusively to service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. Existing contracts may continue under their current terms.
Click on the link for more information on how to apply for the Vet HUB certification.
VETHUB Certification Process