Small Businesses on the Pathway to Winning Government Contracts ...

TAMPA Fla. ? The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) make the pathway to winning government contracts easy for businesses by bringing buyers from federal, state and local government agencies and prime contractors all in one place. Averaging 400 attendees each year, 2012 marks the silver anniversary of the Government Small Business Conference, which is being held May 2-3, 2012.

?It?s all about knowing where to look and who to go to,? said SBDC/PTAC Procurement Specialist Charlene Bostic. ?Selling to the government can be quite lucrative, but businesses need help navigating procedures, which vary from company to company and agency to agency ? that?s where we come in.?

The conference takes this premise a step further by offering seminar tracks and round table panels designed specifically for businesses in different stages of the contracting process. Topics include doing business with large corporations and government agencies, writing winning proposals, getting certified and obtaining security clearances. Also presented are subjects that complement business? efforts in selling to the government, which include exporting, financing and marketing.

The two-day event isn?t only about educating business owners on the procurement process, it also gets them in front of the specific representatives looking to buy their products and services. Plus, the first 10 veteran-owned businesses to register get free conference admittance.

?My company was born through the direct assistance of the SBDC and PTAC,? said Giovanni Suarez, president and owner of a service-disabled, veteran-owned firm ? National Information Assurance Corporation (NIACORP). ?Their guidance and continued support through their Annual Government Small Business Conference, seminars and consulting allows us to grow, learn, and nurture relationships with industry partners and other business owners.?

In less than seven years, Suarez took NIACORP from a one-man shop to a company with 12 full-time employees and sales near $2 million. Suarez is presenting at this year?s SBDC/PTAC Annual Government Conference to teach business owners how to obtain and maintain federally required security clearances. His company offers security clearance services for small business, which represents an 80 percent savings to the soliciting business as there is no need to pay for a full-time employee with clearances in order to bid on a project.

About PTAC: The Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Center Program (PTAC) helps Florida businesses understand the government procurement process and provides free consulting services to entities with primary or branch offices in Florida that are seeking to sell their goods/services to federal, state or local governments; this includes assistance with identifying government projects, proposal writing guidance, small business program application assistance (M/WBE, DBE, SDVOSB, 8a, HUBZone) etc. The program is funded in part by the Department of Defense and operates under the umbrella of the SBDC Network.

As a member of the National Association of SBDC Networks and State Designated as Florida?s Principal Provider of Business Assistance, the Florida Small Business Development Center Network serves every county in Fla. The Network is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and partnerships with higher-education institutions, economic development organizations and chambers of commerce.

Date: May 2-3, 2012

Location

:
Higgins Hall, 5225 N. Himes Ave. Tampa, FL 33614

Cost

Before April 15: $175 After April 15: $225

Registration & Details:http://www.sbdctampabay.com/2012-government-conference

First 10 veteran-owned businesses to register get free conference admittance.

Lunch provided with full conference registration.

Previous representatives include: U.S. Special Ops Command, Jabil, Lockheed Martin, MacDill Air Force Base, Department of Veteran Affairs, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Harris and City of Tampa Purchasing, just to name a few.

Source: http://www.sbdctampabay.com/small-businesses-on-the-pathway-to-winning-government-contracts

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