Grow your business
Enhance your capacity
Advance in concepts and techniques
Find contracts in private and public sectors
The Travis County Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Program and the University of Texas at Austin conduct a two-part readiness training program for HUBs. Funnel One training is for established firms that want to enhance capacity and seek contracting or business opportunities. Funnel Two training is for more advanced minority-owned and women-owned enterprises and small businesses.
This program is designed for well-qualified minority and women-owned businesses that are seeking to increase their capacity to win and execute successfully contracts with local, state, and federal agencies in the Austin region. There is no cost for participating small businesses. The training will be comprised of multiple main sessions and workshops described below, as well as an opportunity to access personalized consulting assistance from a business advisor and/or UT-Austin business students. Presenters at the main sessions and workshops share information, insights, advice, and best practices on each topic.
The ideal applicant will have years of experience, at least five employees, and annual revenue surpassing $500,000. Applicants should be located in the five- county Austin MSA or have existing contracts with governments in the region. Funnel Two training begins in early summer 2023. Please read the FAQ for additional details before submitting an application.
Thank you for your interest in Funnel Two. The application period is no longer open. Future training will be announced on the website in due course. For further information about applying, please send an email to: info@ic2.utexas.edu
RTP Team
All sessions will be on Tuesdays, from 4:15 to 5:45 pm, and are virtual via Zoom.
Session 1: June 6th
Welcoming Remarks
Introduction and Recognition of Sponsors (Travis County, Austin Independent
School District, Capital Metro, and City of Austin)
HUB Company Self-Introductions
Session 2: June 20th
Marketing and Sales Strategies, Sales Channels, and Techniques | Cheryl A. Brown, Director of the North San Diego Small Business Development Center, MiraCosta College, and Greg Pogue, Deputy Director, IC2 Institute, UT-Austin
Session 3 : June 27th
Human Resources | Deirdre Pattillo, University of Texas at San Antonio SBDC Center for Government Contracting
Session 4: July 11th
Accessing Capital | Jim Nolen, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin and John S. Butler, UT-Austin and Hidden Star
Session 5: August 15th
Strategies for Owner-Operated Businesses to Compete with Larger Companies | Ian Bidot, McCombs Schools of Business, The University of Texas at Austin and Rachel Gray, Miller-Gray; Hopeton Hay, UT System; David Negrete, Negrete & Kolar Architects; Greg Pogue, UT-Austin
Workshops will be held on Thursdays from 4:15 to 5:45, via zoom
Workshop 1: June 15th
Discussion of Current Business Challenges and Identification of Resources, Selection of Topic for Main Session 5
Workshop 2: July 12th
Current and near-term bid and contracting opportunities with Travis County, Austin Independent School District, the City of Austin, and UT-Austin
Workshop 3: August 10th
Responding to Purchasing Solicitations and Preparing Your Proposal | Cheryl A. Brown, Executive Director, North San Diego Small Business Development Center
Construction Bond Workshop 1: July 27th
Overview of the Bonding Process | Presenter Luke Ortega Luper, SWMBE Bonding Capacity Growth Program, and Resource Person Jim Swindle, Alamo Surety Bonds
Construction Bond Workshop 2: August 3rd
The Bond Application Process | Presenter Jim Swindle, Alamo Surety Bonds, and Resource Person Luke Ortega Luper, SWMBE Bonding Capacity Growth Program
The following link provides all previous session information, participant information, presenters and video training:
