No-cost regional employer services covering recruiting, job matching, hiring events, labor-market insights, training pipelines, apprenticeships, employee upskilling, and layoff assistance.
No-cost advisingOnline and in personService: English
- Best for
- Williamson or Hays County employers hiring workers, developing skilled-trade talent, or planning training and retention
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- Employer consultation is no-cost, while individual training funds, wage subsidies, workers, occupations, and partner programs apply separate geography, approval, and eligibility rules
- Before you go
- Contact the official Business Services team with the worksite county, positions, hiring timeline, training need, and current workforce size before assuming a program will fund an expense.
A Texas training grant for eligible businesses with fewer than 100 employees using approved public community or technical college courses.
Free accessOnlineIn personService: English
- Best for
- Small employers training new or current full-time employees
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- Employer size, employee status, prevailing wage, course provider, approval, and funding rules apply
- Before you go
- Confirm current funding and obtain program approval before assuming training will be covered.
Texas employer guidance for designing and registering a paid apprenticeship with structured on-the-job learning and related instruction.
No-cost advisingOnlinePhoneService: English
- Best for
- Construction and other employers building a skilled-worker pipeline
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- Federal registration, occupation standards, wage progression, mentorship, records, and instruction rules apply
- Before you go
- Contact ApprenticeshipTexas before assuming a training model or expense is eligible.
TWC's employer reference on hiring, pay, records, leave, unemployment tax, workplace policies, and common Texas employment questions.
Free accessOnlineService: English
- Best for
- Building a Texas employer-compliance checklist
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- General agency guidance; federal law and fact-specific requirements can also apply
- Before you go
- Use the guide as a starting point and obtain qualified advice for legal or payroll decisions.
Local employer support for recruiting, hiring events, workforce planning, training, apprenticeships, and labor-market information.
No-cost advisingOnline and in personService: English
- Best for
- Travis County employers hiring or building a talent pipeline
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- Service, funding, worker, and geography requirements vary by business solution
- Before you go
- Start with Business Solutions and confirm which services fit the employer and workers.
TWC's entry point for small-employer recruiting, training, tax, labor-law, and workforce resources.
Free accessOnlineService: English
- Best for
- Finding the Texas workforce owner for an employer question
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- Individual services and incentives set their own requirements
- Before you go
- Open the exact TWC service and verify its current eligibility and application process.
SBA's official veteran hub for VetCert veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned certification, Veterans Business Outreach Centers, Veterans Business Development Officers, surplus-property access, and links to Boots to Business training and SBA funding resources.
Free accessOnlineIn personService: English
- Best for
- Veterans, service members, Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses exploring business ownership
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- Training, counseling, lending, and contracting programs apply different military affiliation, ownership, control, size, and documentation rules
- Before you go
- Choose the exact SBA program and confirm current eligibility with the official provider or nearest VBOC.
A local nonprofit trade association supporting Asian-owned contractors, engineers, and other businesses through procurement outreach, education, advocacy, bid information, and capacity-building programs.
Fees may applyOnline and in personService: English
- Best for
- Asian-owned construction and engineering firms preparing for City of Austin, other public-sector, or private procurement opportunities
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- Public information is available online; membership, events, training, and procurement programs set their own current registration, fee, and participation requirements
- Before you go
- Review the association's current programs and events, then confirm membership terms and any separate agency certification or vendor-registration requirements before applying.
A free SBA entrepreneurship education and training pathway offered through the Department of Defense Transition Assistance Program and SBA resource partners.
Free accessOnlineIn personService: English
- Best for
- Transitioning service members, including National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses exploring business ownership
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- The core program serves eligible service members and military spouses; installation access, schedule, delivery, registration, and follow-on-course rules vary
- Before you go
- Review the current course sequence and registration path; veterans without installation access should evaluate the official Reboot option.
SBA's official starting point for business planning, launch, compliance, hiring, growth, local counseling, contracting guidance, tools, training, and events.
Free accessOnlineService: English
- Best for
- Finding the correct federal guide or counseling network for the business's current stage
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- The guide is public; counseling networks, events, certifications, loans, and other linked programs set separate eligibility and cost rules
- Before you go
- Choose the relevant Business Guide section or local-assistance pathway, then verify the official program requirements before acting.
A nonprofit serving Black and other minority contractors with bid briefs, business and construction training, practical contractor tools, networking, and regional opportunity updates.
Fees may applyOnline and in personService: English
- Best for
- Black-owned and minority construction firms building bidding capacity and connections across the five-county Austin region
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- Public resources are available online; membership, events, training, and bid-support services may set separate current terms, fees, and participation requirements
- Before you go
- Review current bid briefs, training, and membership information on the official site, then verify every solicitation deadline and requirement with the issuing buyer.
An Austin-area Hispanic contractor association offering bid distribution, plan-reading and estimating education, City certification guidance, networking, and English-Spanish OSHA safety training.
Fees may applyOnline and in personService: EnglishService: Spanish
- Best for
- Hispanic-owned construction businesses seeking contracting leads, technical training, certification support, and a regional contractor network
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- Public information is available online; membership benefits, classes, safety training, and events may have separate registration, capacity, and fee requirements
- Before you go
- Use the official site to confirm current membership and training availability; verify City certification and bid requirements with the issuing agency before submitting documents.
Official Texas guidance on workers' compensation coverage choices, government-construction requirements, notices, and nonsubscriber duties.
Free accessOnlineService: EnglishService: Spanish
- Best for
- Understanding insurance and notice duties before hiring or bidding
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- Requirements depend on employer status, contract, project, and coverage choice
- Before you go
- Review the official employer guide and obtain qualified insurance or legal advice for your facts.
Apply directly to the IRS for a business tax ID without paying a third-party filing service.
Free accessOnlineService: English
- Best for
- Business tax setup and preparing to hire
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- Online eligibility depends on U.S. business location, entity formation, and the responsible party's taxpayer identification.
- Before you go
- Check whether you need an EIN, gather the required information, and save the IRS confirmation. An EIN is free.
The plumbing trade's own Texas licensing board, with license types, applications, renewals, continuing education, and public license search.
Fees may applyOnlineService: English
- Best for
- Plumbers and businesses verifying plumbing credentials
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- Experience, examination, registration, renewal, and fee requirements depend on the credential.
- Before you go
- Choose the correct license type or use Public License Search before assigning plumbing work.
EPA guidance on firm certification, renovator training, and lead-safe work when disturbing paint in covered pre-1978 properties.
Fees may applyOnlineService: English
- Best for
- Planning painting, demolition, or renovation in older buildings
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- Building use, age, activity, and exemptions determine coverage. The guide is free; certification and training can cost money.
- Before you go
- Check the RRP requirements before advertising or starting covered work, then follow the official certification and training paths.
Free, confidential safety consultation for private Texas employers, plus written-program examples and workplace training resources.
No-cost advisingOnlinePhoneIn personService: English
- Best for
- Finding jobsite hazards and improving crew safety
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- Private Texas employers can request help; consultation requirements and hazard-correction commitments apply.
- Before you go
- Request an OSHCON consultation and discuss your worksite, hazards, and training needs with the consultant.
A veteran-transition nonprofit whose site documents a Virtual Entrepreneur Training series covering topics such as marketing, bookkeeping, SEO, AI, and funding options.
Free accessOnlineIn personService: English
- Best for
- Veterans and military families exploring entrepreneurship alongside broader civilian-transition support
Eligibility · Before you go+
- Eligibility
- The official site says the entrepreneur sessions are free for veterans, active-duty service members, first responders, and their families, with one registration covering every session; the site is broader than business ownership, and session dates and topics are published as tentative
- Before you go
- Register through the official class calendar and confirm current session dates and topics; do not treat this listing as a grant, certification, or guaranteed session.
