Ed Note: This is a cross-post from the Small Business Administration blog.
If you were to ask a small business owner to identify a top priority on his or her wish list, undoubtedly they would say “to get more business!” We know that one way to get more business is to contract with the Federal government – the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world. In FY10, nearly $100 billion federal contracting dollars went to small businesses. During this year’s National Small Business Week, the Small Business Administration worked to ensure small businesses made the right connections and gained access to federal contracting opportunities.
Matchmaking Procurement Opportunities
On May 22nd, during Procurement Day of National Small Business Week, SBA hosted a Business Matchmaking event that allowed small businesses to discuss procurement opportunities with major corporations and federal agencies. The event gave more than 150 small businesses from across the country an opportunity to have face-to-face meetings with major corporations and federal agencies to learn about specific contracting opportunities.
SBA’s Procurement Day also featured federal contracting panels on gaining access to federal prime contracting and subcontracting opportunities. During these panels, small businesses learned how to market themselves to the federal government and go after government contracting and sub-contracting opportunities. Small businesses heard from SBA experts about the agency’s contracting programs for small businesses. SBA officials walked small businesses through the federal procurement process as well as small business contracting programs such as the 8(a) Business Development program, HUBZone program, Women-Owned, and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Programs. Small businesses heard first-hand how they can gain access to federal contracts to grow and create jobs.
Fonte: White House