| The SBTDC/PTAC Program's purpose is to generate employment and improve the general economic condition of the state by assisting North Carolina companies including those eligible for business development programs for local, state and federal government contracts. We provide procurement technical assistance by offering no-fee and confidential counseling on selling your products and/or services to the appropriate local, state or federal government agency. |
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MARK MILLS
PTAC Program Director
919.600.6096
GEORGE GRIFFIN
PTAC Counselor
Greensboro / Winston-Salem
336.256.9302
REBECCA BARBOUR
PTAC Counselor
Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill
919.513.0623
SCOTT BARKER
PTAC Counselor
Elizabeth City / Greenville / Wilmington
252.737.1369
PAM RACER
PTAC Counselor
Asheville / Hickory / Boone / Cullowhee
828.251.6025
NICK ECONOMOU
PTAC Counselor
Charlotte
704.687.0443
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Sep 12, 2018
Asheville, NC
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Sep 14, 2018
Fayetteville, NC
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ADDITIONAL SBTDC RESOURCES
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ACCELERATE: A BLOG FOR CEOs OF MID-SIZED FIRMS
SBTDC's Strategy and Growth Services blog,
Accelerate, helps CEOs of mid-sized companies make business and leadership improvements through helpful insight, resources, and tools.
Learn more »
TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION SERVICES
The SBTDC's Technology Commercialization Services team provides business counseling to small to mid-sized business owners, university researchers, and entrepreneurs looking to advance their innovations to the marketplace.
Learn more »
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
The SBTDC's International Business Development Specialists assists small and mid-sized businesses with export planning and exporting.
Learn more »
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Director's Corner:
2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season
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By Mark G. Mills, PTAC Program Director at North Carolina State University
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Dates: June 1, 2018 - November 30, 2018
First System Formed: May 25, 2018
If you have not started preparing your business here are some helpful sites:
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Hurricane toolkit for your business
Working with FEMA and disaster recovery operations
Small Business Administration (SBA): Six expert hurricane season preparedness tips for your business
Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC)
Disaster Preparation & Recovery
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By Rebecca Barbour, PTAC counselor at North Carolina State University
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A lot has changed with the System for Award Management (SAM) this summer, and the registration process continues to evolve. To recap the changes that have occurred thus far, SAM now requires registrants to submit a notarized letter authorizing their entity administrator for both new registrations and renewals. Once a new registration or renewal has been submitted, the Federal Service Desk (FSD) must receive the notarized letter within 30 days for the registration to remain active. As there has been quite a backlog in processing these letters, the accounts are not yet being deactivated; however GSA reserves the right to deactivate registrations in the future if an appropriate letter is not received. SAM has also implemented a two factor login system, utilizing
https://login.gov
New this month, the Federal Service Desk is implementing a process in which registrants will now be notified when the notarized letter has been received. Registrants will no longer need to call the FSD to verify receipt of their letter, which should further reduce helpdesk wait times. Helpdesk wait times have significantly improved since July, and should continue to improve as GSA further refines its process.
The Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC) has been regularly interfacing with the General Services Administration (GSA) to stay abreast of the developments and help PTAC's keep their clients informed. For more information on the SAM registration process changes review the following sites:
For assistance with your SAM registration or renewal, please contact your local PTAC counselor.
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DoD Increases Micro-Purchase Threshold to $10,000, Effective Immediately
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The Department of Defense has issued a class deviation raising the micro-purchase threshold to $10,000, effective immediately. The increase implements Section 821 of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, which was signed into law last month. The memo explains that there are a few exceptions to the standard $10,000 threshold. The class deviation "does not change the micro-purchase threshold exceptions of $2,000 for acquisitions of construction subject to [the Davis-Bacon Act] and $2,500 for acquisitions of services subject to [the Service Contract Act]." Definitions of these more limited authorities remain "as is" under FAR 2.101. The memo also sets forth instances, such as contingency operations, where the micro-purchase threshold may be as high as $30,000. Kudos to the DoD for moving so quickly to implement the new statutory authority. No doubt many Contracting Officers will be grateful.
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SBA Announces Decrease in Surety Bond Gurantee Fees
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WASHINGTON - The U.S. Small Business Administration announces the first fee decrease in Surety Bond Guarantees in 12 years. The fee decrease will be in effect for guaranteed bonds approved during fiscal year 2019, taking effect October 1, 2018 and ending September 30, 2019. The Surety Bond Guarantee (SBG) program is reducing the Surety fee from 26 percent to 20 percent of the bond premium charged to the small businesses and reducing its contractor fee from $7.29 per thousand dollars of the contract amount to $6.00 per thousand dollars of the contract amount. "Reducing the SBG program fees will not only directly help small businesses, but also will incentivize surety companies and their agents to increase support for small businesses in the marketplace," said Peter C. Gibbs, Acting Director of the Office of Surety Guarantees.
Under its SBG program, the SBA guarantees bid, payment and performance bonds for small and emerging contractors who cannot obtain surety bonds through regular commercial channels. SBA guarantees contracts up to $10 million, including the streamlined QuickApp application for those up to $400,000. The SBA's guarantee gives sureties an incentive to provide bonding for small businesses and, thereby, assists small businesses in obtaining greater access to contracting opportunities. Currently, there are 34 participating sureties and over 350 active agents in the SBG program. On average, completed surety bond applications are reviewed and processed in less than two days. The program is currently outperforming its previous year results yielding 27,000 jobs supported, 3,000 final bonds, and $1.7 billion in final bond contract amounts in fiscal year 2018. For more information about this decrease or further assistance, contact Jermanne Perry, Senior Management Analyst, Office of Surety Guarantees, (202) 401-8275;
[email protected]
, or your local SBA District Office.
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PTAC Client Success Stories
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By Rebecca Barbour, PTAC counselor at North Carolina State University
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Ezzell Electric is a family-owned and operated business. Started by Joe Ezzell in 1975, the company provides competent and professional service in the field of emergency power generation for industrial and commercial clients, including federal, state, and local government agencies. Sisters Nancy Jo and Natalee assumed control of Ezzell Electrical in 2016. One of their first stops was to their local PTAC counselor to discuss woman owned business certification and the NC HUB program. The team with Ezzell Electric continued working with their PTAC counselor to examine additional subcontracting opportunities through federal utilities providers, and prime contract opportunities with various government agencies. Today, the company includes 8 employees, and has active contracts and subcontracts with American States Utility Services and the Joint Special Operations Command. Natalee and Nancy Jo continue to look for opportunities to leverage their experience and grow their government client base. For more information on Ezzell Electric and their services, please visit the company website at
http://ezzellelectric.com/index.html
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By Rebecca Barbour, PTAC counselor at North Carolina State University
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Long time PTAC client Bennett Aerospace celebrated their 10 year anniversary in August. Bennett Aerospace began as a small research company, pursuing SBIR contracts with the Department of Defense and other agencies. As the company grew, they began reviewing technical service and research support contracts. In late 2011, owner Julia Bennett decided it was time to pursue 8(a) certification to accelerate their growth in the federal marketplace. She worked with her local PTAC counselor to make
this happen. Bennett Aerospace obtained their 8(a) certification in 2012, and continued working with the PTAC counselor to find contract opportunities. Since their certification, they have grown to over 100 employees, and have active contracts with the Army Research Office, Navy SPAWAR, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and others. Julia continues to lead the company in all of their efforts, daily demonstrating their core values: collaborative, accountable, committed, innovative, and caring. Congratulations to Bennett Aerospace on their 10 year anniversary!
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