Program Eligibility
Program Eligibility
*** PLEASE READ ALL THE WAY DOWN ***
(Failure to do so, may result in your Application being rejected)
To be eligible for UH APEX Accelerator services, you:
ü Your Business’ Physical Address (this is the location where the principals of your organization conduct their business) must be in our 28-County Service Area @ bottom of page
If your Physical Address is not located in our service area, visit our National Association website – NAPEX – National APEX Accelerator Alliance to find the APEX Accelerator nearest you
ü Must be a Legally Formed Business = Sole Proprietor-SP (with or without a dba), LLC, PLLC, Corporation or Partnership
ü Must be a For-Profit Business
Notes:
+ The APEX Program is not for Clients thinking of starting a business. For this, we recommend the Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
+ If you have more than one/1 business, the application for our advisory & assistance services must be in the name of that business
ü Except for Sole Proprietors, your business must be registered & active with the Texas Secretary of State
ü Must be eligible to conduct business in the State of Texas as evidenced by either:
Ø Active State of Franchise Tax Status with the Comptroller’s Office - To check your Franchise Tax Status, visit: Taxable Entity Search*
or
Ø dba = Doing Business As* which is also commonly called a “trade name”, “assumed name”, or “fictitious business name” note the Texas Secretary of State requirements, e.g., Item No. 11
ü You must know what Service(s) and/or Product(s) you can (not want) to sell to the govt.; noting:
- For product/s providers, must have established source/s (ideally multiple/redundant & at manufacturer/wholesaler/distributor level) of supply
- For service/s providers, ideally have relevant & recent company experience of the same or similar scope, size & complexity. This experience can be obtained in the govt. sector, as a subcontractor or in the private & commercial sector
ü Note Well: Prospective Clients in the following industries receive priority for our advisory & assistance services:
Ø Businesses that are or are able to facilitate innovation via connection/s to a GIP/s. A GIP (Government-led Innovation Program) is defined as open innovation programs managed by a Federal Agency. The Programs include but are not limited to the Challenges Program, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs, and any Science and Technology (S&T) Program of which funding opportunities are published through a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), et al. sources.
v Notice 1: Due to the extremely high demand for our Program’s advisory & assistance services and considering APEX Accelerators are encouraged to coordinate with other recipients of Federal Grants & Cooperative Agreements, including Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) which the UH APEX is co-located with and is part of the TGCN – Texas Gulf Coast Network, this coordination may include referring some prospective Clients to an SBDC location within the TGCN
v Notice 2: Due to the extremely high demand for our Program’s services, all Procurement Advisors schedule Initial Client Meetings three/3+ weeks after Advisor assignment.
Thank You for your patience & understanding.
