The program is open to all Louisiana businesses that meet the following eligibility requirements of a Small Entrepreneurship (SE) under the Hudson Initiative. Once certified, business owners are required to submit annual updates through www.ledsmallbiz.com. Failure to submit the required information before your anniversary date each year will result in termination of your certification.

What are the eligibility requirements?

• Principal Place of Business – The company must have its principal place of business in Louisiana.
• Employees – The company has fewer than 50 full-time employees.
• Average Annual Gross Receipts – Average annual gross receipts do not exceed $5 million for non-construction and $10 million for construction companies.
• Independently Owned and Operated – The business is independently owned and operated
• Not Dominant – The business is not dominant in its professional field.
• Louisiana Residency – Owned by persons domiciled in Louisiana.
• Citizenship – Owned by and has officers who are U.S. citizens or legal residents.

Program Statutes & Rules: 

All incentive program rules are in the Louisiana Administrative Code maintained by the Office of the State Register.

• View the Hudson Initiative Statutes
• View the Titles of the Louisiana Administrative Code
  
• Rules for the Hudson Initiative can be found in Part VIII
• Governor Edwards Executive Order

To take advantage of Louisiana's Hudson Initiative and gain greater access to purchasing and contracting opportunities with the State government, complete the online application at www.ledsmallbiz.com.

For more information on the Hudson Initiative, contact:

Stephanie Hartman
Director, Small Business Services
[email protected]
225.342.5677

1. LED will review completed applications within two business days of submittal.
2. You will receive an email notification after review that acknowledges your application status.
3. Register as a vendor with the Office of State Procurement to begin receiving email notifications about purchasing and contracting opportunities available through the State of Louisiana. The Hudson and Veteran Initiatives’ Coordinator List can be found on the Office of State Procurement website.
• View "Your guide for conducting business with the State of Louisiana" to learn more about the procurement process. Watch recording here.
• View "How to respond to an Invitation to Bid (ITB)" to learn more about the ITB process with the state of Louisiana. Watch recording here.
• View "How to respond to a Request for Proposal (RFP)" to learn more about the RFP process with the State of Louisiana. Watch recording here.
4. Submit annual updates through www.ledsmallbiz.com by your anniversary date each year to remain certified in the program. Three email notifications will be sent to remind you to submit this information.

Q: My business does not have any full-time employees, except me. Would I qualify? 
A: YES. There is no minimum requirement for the number of employees.

Q: I have a minority- and/or woman-owned business. Will this certification also serve to recognize me under those distinctions? 
A: NO. The Hudson Initiative is a race- and gender-neutral certification. Find out where you can go to get certified as a woman- or minority-owned business.

Q: My business is located in Texas, but I would like to do business with the State of Louisiana. Would I qualify? 
A: NO. The business and owner must be based in Louisiana.

Q: Once I get certified, will I automatically be given contracts? 
A: NO. The Hudson Initiative is a goal-oriented certification program, but there are no contracts set aside for certified businesses. You need to register your business with the Office of State Procurement in order to learn about current bid opportunities in your industry.

Q: I am a Hudson-certified company. What do I need to do to start receiving information about purchasing and contracting opportunities? 
A: You need to register your business with the Office of State Procurement in order to learn about current bid opportunities in your industry.

Q: I got certified in Hudson years ago, but have not kept up with my certification. What do I need to do to get back in the program? 
A: If you have not been submitting your annual updates, as required, you will need to go through the application process again. You can apply online at www.ledsmallbiz.com.

Q: How long does it take for my application to be reviewed? 
A: Applications will be reviewed and an email will be sent notifying you of your status within two business days.

Q: Where do I find a list of Hudson-certified clients? 
A: Go to www.ledsmallbiz.com and click on the link under the program headers to find the list of Hudson-certified businesses.

Q: How can I learn more about creating bid proposals? 
A: Contact the Louisiana Procurement Technical Assistance Center for help with the marketing and bidding process, and post-award and contract management.

Q: Where can I find more information about doing business with the State? 
A: Visit the Vendor Center page on the Office of State Procurement's website for additional information for vendors, including the annually updated guide on "How to Do Business with the State of Louisiana."

Q: What does "not dominant in its professional field" mean? 
A: You are not the dominant business in your professional field, meaning that you are not the primary business in your industry. For example, if your business was the largest widget manufacturer in the country, you would be considered dominant in your field, and would not qualify.

Q: Where can I go to find out more about the benefits of the program? 
A: For additional information on the benefits listed, you can reference the following documents: The Small Purchases Executive Order, governing small purchases, and the 10% Allowance on Requests for Proposals.