North Carolina HUB Program: Status and What to Do

What happened

North Carolina's 2026 Appropriations Act, Session Law 2026-41, became law on July 7, 2026. It eliminated the state Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) and repealed the HUB statutes, including G.S. 143-128.2, which required minority business goals and good faith efforts on building projects (per the UNC School of Government). The Small Business Enterprise (NCSBE) program moved to the Division of Purchase & Contract in the Department of Administration (per NC DOA). The state plans to launch a redesigned NCSBE program by early 2027 (per NC DOA).

What it means for your bids

• HUB certification is no longer valid for state contracts (per NC DOA).
• Building projects no longer carry HUB participation goals or good faith effort requirements. Local governments were told to remove HUB goals and listing requirements from ongoing procurements and to amend signed contracts to strike HUB references (per the UNC School of Government).
• Local minority business acts were repealed too, except where federal law requires them (per the UNC School of Government). Federally funded work, such as projects with federal DBE goals, still follows the federal rules.
• The NCSBE program is race- and gender-neutral. It is for for-profit businesses headquartered in North Carolina with 100 or fewer employees and annual net income of $1.5 million or less (per NC DOA).
• Construction manager at-risk projects still require a "good faith effort to recruit and select small business entities" (per the UNC School of Government). Read each bid to see what it asks for.

What to do now

1. If you held HUB certification, apply for NCSBE certification in the fast-track window, October 15 to November 30, 2026 (per NC DOA): https://www.doa.nc.gov/divisions/small-business-enterprise-program
2. Apply through the NC electronic Vendor Portal (eVP): https://evp.nc.gov/
3. Read the participation section of each new state or local bid. Do not assume a HUB section is still there.
4. On federally funded work, check the federal DBE requirements in the bid, which are separate.
5. Questions go to NCSBE@doa.nc.gov. Help is free.

Watch out for

• The redesigned NCSBE program is planned for early 2027, so eligibility and benefits may change again (per NC DOA).
• Some state and local pages still describe HUB. The session law controls.
• Cities and counties may set up their own small business programs. Check each one's own pages.
• This status can change again. We recheck it regularly.

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Sources

• www.doa.nc.gov/divisions/small-business-enterprise-program
• www.doa.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2026/09/09/nc-doa-seeks-feedback-small-business-e
• www.sog.unc.edu/blogs/coates-canons/budget-bill-eliminates-hub-office-and-repeals-sta

FindMyBids isn't affiliated with any certifying agency, and this isn't legal advice. Status can change quickly with court orders and new laws, so confirm with the program office before you rely on it.