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News | Sept. 17, 2018

Procurement assistance centers to celebrate contracting success, build awareness of free services

By Beth Reece

Procurement Technical Assistance Centers scattered across the nation will celebrate the success of small businesses that have used PTAC services to gain government contracts in support of the Department of Defense’s worldwide mission during the first National PTAC Day Sept. 26.

Some PTACs will host local events designed to build awareness of PTAC support, but the main attraction is a free one-hour webinar called “Top Tips for Finding and Winning Government Contracts” from 2-3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The webinar will feature three panelists including Sherry Savage, who oversees the program for the Defense Logistics Agency, which is responsible for administering the program.

The Procurement Technical Assistance Program was created in 1985 to increase the number of small businesses capable of participating in government contracts at local and state levels, as well as with DoD and other federal agencies. PTACs are located in Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and all 50 states. In 2017, they assisted more than 48,000 businesses, helping clients win over 186,000 contracts valued at almost $20 billion.

PTACs provide a variety of services, from identifying contracting opportunities to providing guidance on the bidding process and detailed instruction on registering in or using federal procurement systems such as the System for Award Management and www.fbo.gov, which is the website where DoD and other federal agencies post opportunities for contracts. Counselors also ensure small-business owners have proper licenses and certifications.

Carolyn Carson, a small business owner in Arlington, Virginia, has relied on the PTAC to help her firm understand the government’s unique needs and refine responses to government requests for information. PTAC’s outreach sessions have been especially helpful, she said.

“When outreach sessions are announced my firm does the homework in terms of who the firms are that are going to be present, and we seek to identify specific opportunities within those companies so we can talk intelligently about a proposal that may be of interest to a particular company. By doing that work ahead of time, it allows us to have a much more robust conversation,” she added.

Though her firm hasn’t been awarded a contract yet, PTAC support gives her hope that it soon will.

The training and assistance PTACs offer are usually free and well appreciated by small businesses, which may lack the time and staff to explore the ins and outs of government contracting.

Government contracting officers and buyers can also benefit from the program, Savage said.

“By supporting new suppliers, the PTACs promote a stronger industrial base, which results in greater competition and higher quality goods at a lower cost. The Department’s acquisition professionals are striving toward these goals as they work to create competitive environments and increase small-business participation,” she said.

Kevin Scoles, a DoD business-opportunity specialist, recently taught small-business owners serviced by Washington PTACs how to use a web-based application that allows users to search for contract opportunities and securely submit quotes. While meeting with PTAC clients, Scoles was also able to share information on areas with low competition with prospective suppliers.

Although government representatives frequently partner with PTACs to provide training and have sought input from PTAC counselors during market research for specific commodities, the partnership could be stronger, said Tiffany Scroggs, manager of eight PTACs in Washington.

Federal agencies such as the General Services Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration already include PTACs in the early planning stages for marketing events like industry days, Scroggs added. PTAC counselors can also help identify qualified suppliers for hard-to-source parts.

“If DLA’s buyers are seeing trends or have areas with really low competition, we’re more than happy to help promote that to our firms,” she said. “A lot of PTACs have newsletters where we can include articles on needs, or we can get the details out through social-media campaigns.”

Market research is another step in the acquisition process where PTACs can contribute, Savage added.

“They have an in-depth knowledge of local small businesses and their capabilities and can identify potential suppliers that have demonstrated their capability to deliver,” she said.

During relief efforts following Hurricane Maria last year, the Puerto Rico PTAC helped expedite support on the ground by embedding staff with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to facilitate vendor registrations in the System for Award Management. The effort quickened administrative and registration processes, and lessons learned through the partnership have since been shared with emergency-response officials in Hawaii and the West Coast.

Though PTACs do host “matchmaking” events to connect small businesses with government officials, counselors don’t do the legwork or place bids on behalf of their clients. And just because PTAC services are usually free doesn’t mean they’re considered inferior by business owners like Brian Barnett, whose company resides in McLean. His firm uses the Virginia PTAC to better understand how the government might use the services it provides as it expands its customer base from the private sector to the public sector. The services have saved Barnett’s firm money and time, he said.

“They’re a great source of information whether it’s a five-minute conversation, webinar, seminar or an official counseling appointment,” he added. “It’s been very helpful because the people have so much experience and so much expertise.”

More information on local PTACs is available on DLA's Procurement Technical Assistance page. Information on PTAC Day is available at the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers.