SBDC Webinar Explores Government Contracting for Disadvantaged Businesses

Government agencies have annual goals to award contracts to companies participating in the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) program. Obtaining this designation can be a great way to set your business apart from the competition in the government market. 

A Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) webinar, titled “The SBA 8(a) Program: Government Contracting for Disadvantaged Businesses,” is scheduled Thursday, July 6, from 11 a.m.-noon. This webinar will cover what the SBA 8(a) program is and how this designation can help socially and economically disadvantaged businesses win government contracts.

The SBDC is a partnership among the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming Business Council and the SBA. The SBDC focuses on educating small-business owners and potential owners on how to successfully start and operate small businesses. The SBDC’s main office is located at UW.

Topics to be addressed include eligibility requirements, the materials you will need to apply and the application process. Participants also will learn how the Wyoming Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) can help them throughout the entire application process.

Brett Housholder and Andrea Lewis have more than 10 years of experience helping businesses with government contracting. Their training in the government procurement process includes required government registrations, finding government contracting opportunities, marketing to government agencies and applying for government certification programs such as SBA 8(a), Woman-owned Small Business, HUBZone and Veteran-owned Small Business.

The webinar is free of charge. However, attendees must register to obtain the link to the webinar at www.wyomingsbdc.org.

Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. For more information, call Housholder at (307) 234-3203 or Lewis at (307) 772-7372.

The Wyoming SBDC Network is a business advising group of the Wyoming SBDC, PTAC, Market Research Center and SBIR/STTR Initiative. The network’s mission is to help Wyoming entrepreneurs succeed. Advising and most market research activities are free of charge to Wyoming residents.

The SBDC is funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the SBA. Additional support is provided by the Wyoming Business Council and UW.

For more information, go to www.wyomingsbdc.org.