On January 26, 2004, the Town of Morrisville established a goal of ten percent (10%) for minority participation in building construction contracts awarded that meet the statutory threshold of $300,000. 

The Town of Morrisville’s Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Program includes the following goals: 

  1. Establish a 10% HUB overall participation percentage goal in the building construction projects meeting the statutory formal bid threshold expenditure level, and  
  2. Establish a 10% HUB overall participation percentage goal in the procurement of consulting and professional expenditures related to building construction projects meeting the statutory formal bid threshold expenditure level.
  3. The overall program participation percentage goal will be reviewed annually or on a project-by-project basis as soon as relevant data becomes available.
  4. Historically Underutilized Businesses will have an opportunity to receive technical assistance in licensing, bonding, certification, completing bid forms, clarification of any area of the contract in which there are questions (not including estimates for any specific project), and other procedures involved in securing Town contracts.

 The services of the Town of Morrisville’s Underutilized Business Program is not designed to provide in-depth business management, estimating or other technical assistance to participants in bid preparation and contract negotiations.  

For help getting certified, check out the following resources:  

The N.C. Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) promotes economic opportunities for historically underutilized businesses in state government contracting and procurement that will foster their growth and profitability. The HUB Office utilizes North Carolina General Statute 143-128.2's definition of a “minority business" as written below:  

“A business in which at least fifty-one percent (51%) is owned by one or more minority persons, or in the case of a corporation, in which at least fifty-one percent (51%) of the stock is owned by one or more minority persons or socially economically disadvantaged individuals. And of which the management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more of the minority persons or socially and economically disadvantaged individuals who own it.” 

The statute defines the term “minority person” as individuals identifying as Black, Hispanic, Asian American, American Indian, and/or Female. 

 As defined by Federal Statute 15 U.S. C. § 637, socially disadvantaged individuals are defined as: “those who have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias because of their identity as a member of a group without regard to their individual qualities.” Economically disadvantaged individuals “are those socially disadvantaged individuals whose ability to compete in the free enterprise system has been impaired due to diminished capital and credit opportunities as compared to others in the same business who are not socially disadvantaged.” 

The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program is a legislatively mandated program run by the U.S. Department of Transportation to ensure disadvantaged businesses have the opportunity to do business with the N.C. Department of Transportation, which receives federal funding for transportation projects. 

A disadvantaged business is classified as any business that: 

  • Is 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by women or minorities (e.g., Black, Hispanic, Asian-American or Native American) 
  • Has not exceeded an average of $23.98 million in gross annual receipts over a three-year period 
  •  Is owned by women or minorities who have a personal net worth of less than $1.32 million 

To become certified please visit the NCDOT Certification Portal.