Army Office of Small Business Programs

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)
Minority Serving Institutions (MSI)
Outreach Program

Gayna Malcolm-Packnett
Procurement Analyst

Army OSBP’s role is to conduct outreach to HBCU and MSI about the prime and subcontracting opportunities for Army contracts and how they can, through R&D and business infrastructure training and support, make a difference in the capability of other small businesses and the warfighter. Army OSBP leverages other organizations’ outreach events by presenting about the above prime and subcontracting opportunities at those events.

The DoD’s Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity (ODMEO) hosts an outreach event 3 times each year called “Pentagon to the People.” It is one of our primary HBCU/MSI outreach events. Army Materiel Command’s (AMC’s) Office of Diversity Management conducts outreach to HBCU/MSI. Army Research Lab (ARL) recognized the contributions that HBCU can make to the Army’s R&D needs, not only in the SBIR/STTR programs. It conducts outreach to HBCU/MSI through its Office of Technology Integration and Outreach Division.

HBCU/MSI are still entities for which Army Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) desires to conduct outreach to encourage consideration of contracting and other opportunities.

HBCU/MSI can compete for full and open contract actions.
HBCU/MSI can participate in the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program by entering into an agreement with a small business to conduct applied Research and Development (R&D) on topics identified in the program. Under the STTR program, the Principal Investigator (PI) may be an employee of the HBCU/MSI research institute.
HBCU/MSI may participate in the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program as a subcontractor to a small business by providing R&D resources such as labs, interns, and other resources.
HBCU/MSI can provide support as a subcontractor to an Army mentor under the DoD Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) by providing business infrastructure support identified in the Developmental Assistance Plan (DAP) in a Mentor-Protégé Agreement (MPA) or by providing technology transfer in that MPA, such as certification training. DoD mandates that at least 5% of a reimbursable MPA be subcontracted to an HBCU/MSI, Small Business Development Center (SBDC) or a Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the definition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions?

Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCUs/MIs) are educational institutions that existed prior to 1964 with the primary purpose of educating African American, Hispanic and American Indian students.

Are HBCUs and MIs accredited educational institutions?

Yes, the U.S. Department of Education publishes a list of Accredited Post Secondary Education Institutions annually to assist Federal agencies in identifying schools qualified to participate in Federal contracting and grant programs.

How many schools are classified as Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions?

Currently, there are approximately 299 educational institutions that are classified as HBCUs and MIs. Of these, 105 are HBCUs, 157 are MIs consisting of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) and Other Minority Institutions (OMIs), and 37 Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs).

Where are these schools located?

HBCUs are located in the Southeastern states, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands. They include 40 public four-year, 11 public two-year, 49 private four-year, and 5 private 2-year institutions.

HSIs are located primarily in the Southwestern section of the Nation and in California. HSIs are educational institutions with a Hispanic enrollment of at least 25 percent of the total student population.

TCUs are located in the Great Plans region of the Nation, mainly in the Midwest and Southwest. TCUs service approximately 30,000 full- and part-time students. They offer two-year associate's degrees in over 200 disciplines with some providing bachelor's and master's degrees.

OMIs are educational institutions across the Nation with a total minority population of 50%. These schools are primarily located in California and some large urban areas with a significant minority student population e.g., Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles.

Where are the HBCU professional schools located?

HBCU professional schools are located across the country in several key areas:

Engineering Schools: Howard, Hampton, Tuskegee, Morgan State, North Carolina A&T, Alabama A&M, Tennessee State, FAMU, and Jackson State and Prairie View A&M.
Pharmacy Schools: Howard, Hampton, Xavier and Texas Southern.
Law Schools: Howard, North Carolina Central and Texas Southern.
Medical Schools: Morehouse, Howard and Meharry.
Ph.D. (Science) Programs: Howard, Hampton, Tuskegee, North Carolina A&T, Morgan, Clark Atlanta, Alabama A&M, Jackson State and Tennessee State.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) Outreach Program

Frequently Asked Questions

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)
Minority Serving Institutions (MSI)
Outreach Program