The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce lobbies to change how our government supports small business—and for the better
“We want small businesses to have the same opportunities as large companies when it comes to New Mexico procurements. The HUB will ensure minority owned, women run, veteran run and small disadvantaged businesses get a piece of the pie.” Synthia Jaramillo, Chief Operating Officer, Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce.
Over the past two years the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce has been toiling away behind the scenes, lobbying to create more economic opportunities for local minority, women and veteran owned businesses as well as small disadvantaged businesses. Their main strategy, the HUBDO program, proposes that Historically Underutilized Businesses—or HUBs—gain better access to city, county and state procurement opportunities.
Right now, far too often prime contractors will go out of state to hire subcontractors for large scale city, county or state contracts, which means that our tax dollars are pouring out of our state into building business elsewhere. The HUBDO program proposes a system (and some requirements) that would keep our tax dollars invested in homegrown businesses.
The Chamber’s proposed HUBDO program designates a percentage of New Mexico procurements to go to certified Historically Underutilized Businesses and Disadvantaged Businesses. Companies that meet the requirements of the HUBDO program (minority/women/veteran run businesses or disadvantaged businesses that make under $3 million a year and have less than 50 employees) will be certified annually by a facilitating nonprofit agency. The certified HUB business’ information will then be posted on a HUBDO Business Directory, which prime contractors will use as they seek subcontractors for small and large scale procurements and projects. The program and its proposed policy changes provide local business that don’t have the ability to respond to a RFP or serve as a prime contractor the opportunity to still, as Synthia put it, “get a piece of the pie.”
HUBDO is modeled after a highly successful Texas program that has a 25-year history and results in billions of statewide expenditures with local businesses each year throughout the state of Texas. The proposal here in New Mexico is gaining traction this year with the City and County, and the Chamber plans to bring it before the Legislature for statewide consideration in 2017.
CONNECT THE DOTS
OPPORTUNITIES: The HUBDO program is aligned with Albuquerque’s Integration Initiative in supporting the four quadrants of entrepreneurs (especially Innovation Led and 2nd Stage entrepreneurs).
On a micro scale his program would have huge fiscal implications for local businesses. On a macro level, it would mean millions of dollars invested in homegrown companies.
