Houston-Galveston Area Council

What Houston-Galveston Area Council does

The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) is a voluntary association of local governments established in 1966 and designated as the regional planning organization for a 13-county Houston-Galveston region encompassing more than 7 million residents across Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Walker, Waller, and Wharton counties. Headquartered at 3555 Timmons Lane in Houston, H-GAC operates as a public-sector organization (251-500 employees) rather than a commercial enterprise, coordinating regional programs across transportation planning, emergency preparedness, environmental quality, economic development, workforce development, broadband access, and aging services. Core operational subsidiaries include HGACBuy (a nationwide cooperative purchasing program with 8,000+ government members and 30+ years of operation), Workforce Solutions (24 career offices operated in conjunction with the Gulf Coast Workforce Board), the Gulf Coast Regional 9-1-1 Emergency Communications District (GCRECD), the Gulf Coast Economic Development District (GCEDD), the Houston-Galveston Area Local Development Corporation (H-GALDC, an SBA 504 lender), and the Area Agency on Aging.

H-GAC's technology stack centers on regional data infrastructure rather than a unified software product. Operated platforms include a Regional GIS Data Hub, imagery and LiDAR/elevation datasets, census and redistricting data tools, an ArcGIS-based regional broadband access mapping application, the STAR*Map regional analysis platform, interactive web applications for residential resources and disaster recovery, and an imagery/LiDAR workgroup program. AI/ML capability is not internally developed; the organization instead provides an AI and data consulting procurement category via HGACBuy (Contract AI05-26 awarded to CTG) for public agencies. Other notable technical and program assets include 43 completed Livable Center studies since 2008, a federally-administered DBE Program with a 26% participation goal running October 2025 through September 2028, and the WorkInTexas job-matching database operated in partnership with the Texas Workforce Commission.

H-GAC's business model is government-to-government by design rather than commercial. Funding is sourced from federal and state grants (Texas Community Development Block Grant, State Homeland Security Grants, HUD PRO Housing Grants, FEMA hazard mitigation funding, U.S. DOT DBE funding, EDA Public Works grants), member government dues, cooperative purchasing administration fees (HGACBuy), and SBA-related program administration. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, contracts vary by vendor and category, and there is no equity ownership. Go-to-market operates through two complementary motions: a cooperative purchasing channel (HGACBuy, nationwide) and direct service delivery (24 workforce career offices, Area Agency on Aging community-based delivery, public hearings and community meetings). H-GAC is governed by a Board of Directors representing member local governments, with 2026 Board Officers sworn in February 2026.

Name

Houston-Galveston Area Council

Legal name

Houston-Galveston Area Council

Website

https://h-gac.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Houston-Galveston Area Council is a 1966-established voluntary association of local governments serving as the regional planning organization for a 13-county Houston-Galveston region of 7+ million residents, coordinating transportation, emergency preparedness, workforce, aging, broadband, and cooperative purchasing (HGACBuy, 8,000+ members) programs funded primarily by federal and state grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Government Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Executive and Legislative Offices, Combined (92114)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association Compliance, Governance & Board Support Services (BPAJAHAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) / Municipal Aggregation Retail Supply (EUAGABAF)

Keywords

• Regional government planning
• Cooperative purchasing services
• Workforce development solutions
• Emergency preparedness planning
• Community development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Cooperative Purchasing Program Administration: H-GAC administers HGACBuy, a government-to-government procurement service that helps reduce operating equipment costs for local government entities and qualifying non-profit corporations. The program provides competitively priced contracts for goods and services.
2. Grant Administration and Program Management: H-GAC administers various federal and state grant programs including Texas Community Development Block Grant, State Homeland Security Grants, and coordinates economic development funding for local governments.
3. Area Agency on Aging Services: Federally funded programs providing services to older adults aged 60 and over through community-based delivery systems, funded through federal aging allocations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) is a voluntary association of local governments founded in 1966 that serves a 13-county region. It delivers cooperative purchasing through HGACBuy, workforce development, emergency preparedness planning, area agency on aging services, regional transportation and land-use planning, economic development coordination, and GIS/mapping data services to local governments, organizations, and residents in the Houston-Galveston area.

Product overview

Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) is a regional planning organization offering a portfolio of government services rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include HGACBuy (a nationwide cooperative purchasing program for government procurement), the Area Agency on Aging, Workforce Solutions employment services, Emergency Preparedness and Hurricane Preparedness programs, Gulf Coast Regional 9-1-1 Emergency Communications District, Regional Broadband Initiative, Elder Justice Program, Livable Centers Program, Bringing Back Main Street downtown revitalization, Census Data Services, Regional Housing Coordination, Community Development Grant Program, Gulf Coast Economic Development District, H-GALDC (small business financing), DBE Program, and various advisory committees for flood management and homeland security. These programs serve the 13-county Houston-Galveston region and operate as separate service offerings rather than an integrated software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HGACBuy Cooperative Purchasing

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 7+ million people across 13 counties
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gulf Coast Workforce BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Gulf Coast Workforce Board is the local board of directors for Workforce Solutions, which sets the strategic direction for the regional workforce system and guides the area's workforce agenda. The Board is business-led and community focused with approximately 50 members representing private sector business, education, organized labor, and community-based organizations.
• Workforce SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperating affiliate of the Gulf Coast Workforce Board that helps employers meet their human resource needs and individuals build careers across the 13-county Houston-Galveston region.
• U.S. Economic Development AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency supporting development in economically distressed areas by fostering job creation and attracting private investment through Public Works Grants and planning assistance.
• Texas Broadband Development OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency established in 2021 to award grants, low-interest loans and other financial incentives to expand access to and adoption of broadband service in designated eligible areas.
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal department administering housing and urban development programs including PRO Housing Grant, Section 3 employment requirements, and Fair Housing Act enforcement.
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency requiring hazard mitigation plans for localities and providing mitigation funding for eligible projects.
• Gulf Coast Regional Emergency Communications District (GCRECD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional emergency communications district created in 2016 serving local governments in State Planning Region 16 with boundaries coterminous with H-GAC.
• Texas Department of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency administering Texas Community Development Block Grant (TxCDBG) Program, rural economic development grants, and community development funding for non-entitlement communities.
• Texas Workforce CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partnering with Texas Workforce Commission and other workforce boards in the largest job-matching database in the state - WorkInTexas.
• Port of Galveston / Galveston WharvesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPort receiving $8.178 million in grant funding from federal and state sources for mobility and pedestrian safety improvements facilitated through H-GAC regional coordination.
• U.S. Department of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency providing funding through the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program for transportation contracting opportunities.
• Houston-Galveston Area Local Development Corporation (H-GALDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCertified development company created in the 1980s by H-GAC to promote economic development and job creation, licensed throughout Texas as an SBA 504 Loan Program CDC.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sourcewell: Sourcewell is a Minnesota-based cooperative purchasing organization that competitively solicits and awards contracts for government, education, and nonprofit entities. It is the most direct peer to HGACBuy's cooperative purchasing program, serving a similar member base of public agencies nationwide.
• OMNIA Partners: OMNIA Partners (formed via the merger of U.S. Communities and National IPA) operates a national cooperative purchasing program serving public agencies, schools, and nonprofits. It directly competes with HGACBuy in government procurement services.
• Mid-America Regional Council (MARC): MARC is the association of local governments serving the nine-county Kansas City region, providing regional planning, workforce development, aging services, and emergency preparedness. It is a direct peer to H-GAC as a multi-county council of governments.
• Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG): SCAG is the largest regional planning organization in the United States, serving six counties and 191 cities in Southern California. It is a direct peer to H-GAC as a regional council performing transportation, housing, and sustainable communities planning.
• NASPO ValuePoint: NASPO ValuePoint is a cooperative purchasing program operated by the National Association of State Procurement Officials, serving state and local government entities. It directly competes with HGACBuy in cooperative government procurement.
• North Central Texas Council of Governments: NCTCOG is a voluntary association of local governments serving the 16-county North Central Texas region, including the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. It is one of the largest direct peers to H-GAC as a Texas-based regional council of governments providing transportation, workforce, and emergency planning services.
• Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC): PSRC is the regional planning organization for the four-county central Puget Sound region around Seattle. It performs transportation, economic, and growth-management planning analogous to H-GAC's regional planning portfolio.

Others

• National Association of Regional Councils (NARC): NARC is the national membership association representing regional councils of governments and metropolitan planning organizations across the U.S. It is a thematically related industry association that supports H-GAC and similar COGs through advocacy, training, and peer networking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HouGalvAreaCog
• YouTubeyoutube.com/HouGalvAreaCog
• Facebookfacebook.com/HouGalvAreaCog
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/houston-galveston-area-council
• Instagraminstagram.com/hougalvareacog

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Houston-Galveston Area Council