September P-TALK News, Upcoming Events and More!

News

Are you ready for business-to-government networking season?

In September and October, there are several large in-person networking events PTAC wants you to be aware of and ready to make the most of every interaction. Making connections with resources, primes, potential partners and future clients takes some preparation. If you are interested in a guided tour on how to prepare for networking PTAC is offering an interactive virtual workshop Networking Know How 9:00 -12:00 September 14^th. This workshop focuses on “how to” 1) prepare for networking events 2) work the room (engaging and disengaging) 3) stay focused and confident 4) follow up on leads 5) continue to build relationships. This workshop is perfectly timed, one week prior to one of the largest in person events in 2022 – the Regional Contracting Forum September 21^st hosted by Sound Transit and Washington State Department of Transportation. The other virtual workshop PTAC would like to share with you is the 10 Seconds to Impact – Creating Extraordinary Elevator Pitches 9:00 -12:00 October 5^th. This workshop allows for creativity and exploration into what makes you stand out and be memorable in a crowded marketplace.

Firms in Eastern Washington should register for Meet the Bigs on October 25 at Northern Quest Resort & Casino. Meet the Bigs is the largest business-to-government event in eastern Washington and is an excellent opportunity to learn about upcoming work at Fairchild Airforce Base, US Forest Service, and many more state/local agencies. Coming up the following day is Meet the Agencies at the North Puget Sound Small Business Summit on October 26^th. Meet the Agencies is a special session dedicated to contractors interested in learning more about public works contracting. There will be 5 public agencies prepared to answer the following 6 questions 1) Where to find upcoming opportunities and active solicitations 2) What are the top three procurement methods used by the agency 3) What kind of programs or resources are available for small and diverse businesses wanting to do business with your agency 4) What are common mistakes contractors make when responding to bids 5) How the agency uses rosters 6) How to get assistance with required paperwork. The goals for this session are to gather resources and information about public works opportunities and meet local public agencies to learn about their public work needs.

At all these events, be prepared to bring your capability statements and stop and say hi to the advisors at the PTAC table! We look forward to connecting with you there.

Contact a PTAC Counselor today for assistance with all your government contracting questions. Click on a counselor's name to email them or give them a call at the phone number listed.

Main Center

Thurston EDC

4220 6th Ave.

Lacey, WA 98503

360-464-6041

Program Manager

Counselors

Sub Centers

(425) 248-4223

Cara Buckingham

Greater Spokane Inc

(509) 321-3646

Aleesha Roedel

Columbia River Economic Development Council

(503) 694-9403

(253) 520-6267

Kitsap Economic Development Alliance

(360) 377-9499

(509) 491-3231

National PTAC DAY

September 21 is a nationwide holiday celebrating the success of businesses who use PTAC services! Help us prepare for this annual event by taking a photo with this “I Love PTAC” Form and submitting it to info@washingtonptac.org or tag Washington PTAC on Facebook @WashingtonPTAC.

Welcome Cara Buckingham

The Washington PTAC team is pleased to welcome new PTAC advisor, Cara Buckingham, at the Economic Alliance Snohomish County location. Buckingham will assist the region’s businesses in understanding how to find, bid, win and perform on government contracts. She most recently worked for Birch Equipment Rental and Sales where, among other roles, she helped build relationships with supplier diversity and procurement officers in the private and public sectors. Buckingham has been a member of the AGC of Washington Diversity and Inclusion Committee and served for three years on the Washington State Business Diversity Advisory Group which improved small business access to state procurement markets. Firms in the north Puget Sound region can schedule a time to meet with Cara here.

SAM Delays Continue

All firms interested in bidding on new federal contracts or getting paid on current contracts should check their SAM expiration dates and plan to renew the registration several months in advance. Your PTAC advisor has some ability to expedite entity validation issues that impact your ability to be awarded or get paid on current contracts.

Statewide Contract Data

Did you know that purchases made via state Master Contracts can be viewed at this link? Data is updated on a regular basis and provides insight into which businesses on contract are most successful and which agencies are utilizing the contract. For more market research tips, contact your PTAC.

SBIR Program Future

Federal agencies and innovative firms are biting their nails over the fate of the Small Business Innovation Research program that has not yet been reauthorized by Congress. See article here from FedNewsNetwork.

Bid Opportunities

Contracting opportunities - Find Federal, State and Local government Contracting Opportunities

Subcontracting Opportunities

Subcontracting opportunities - Find sub bid requests from prime contractors such as Pease & Sons, Kiewit, MidMountain Contractors and Granite Construction Company

Upcoming Events - Virtual unless otherwise noted

Keep scrolling to find upcoming events divided into four categories:

Focused Classes
Monthly Meetings
Series Courses
Tradeshows and Conferences

Upcoming Events - Focused Classes

Networking Know How

9/14/2022

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Being well networked plays a key role in government contracting success. Find out what you need to know and do to put your best self forward.

Meet the Buyer and DBE Certification

9/14/2022

12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

801 W Riverside Ave, Spokane WA 99201-0911

WSDOT will take us on a guided tour of how to do business with them, upcoming opportunities, and where to register to see bid opportunities.

PTAC will go over the DBE program. Eligibility, process of application, the benefits of a DBE certification and what it takes to get started.

Legal Workshop 101 for Contractors

9/14/2022

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

WA MBDA & Seattle SCORE are pleased to offer a free in-depth legal workshop on legal topics most commonly encountered by small business owners.

Could you tell someone what CMMC 2.0 and NIST 800-171 mean? And what are they for? If not ....

9/22/2022

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Join us as we take you through this requirement for DoD and other federal contracting.

10 Seconds to Impact - Creating Extraordinary Elevator Pitches

PREP SESSION

10/4/2022

2:00 PM - 2:15 PM

Join this short zoom preparation meeting to test your camera and audio as well as start to formulate a pitch for Wednesday's workshop. Learn how to navigate zoom screens and prepare for the ICEBREAKER you will have the day of the workshop.

WORKSHOP

10/5/2022

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Gain critical awareness and tools you can use immediately to improve the quality of your elevator pitch.

Stand up and out with poise and deliver dynamic messages about yourself, your business or organization
Talk so people will listen and want to hear more
Find the core of your message and vary the content and length in order to meet the demands of the moment, event and audience

Supply & Service Providers: US Dept of Labor's Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Webinar

10/5/2022

10:00am - 12:00pm

Federal Supply & Service contractors - You are subject to laws and regulations that are enforced by Dept of Labor's Office of Federal Contractor Compliance. Are you ready for for a compliance review? Encourage your HR Department to attend this webinar to learn more.

Price Proposal Preparation

10/6/2022

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Interested in learning more about the key components to prepare a price proposal? If so, retired Contracting Officer Terry Homburg, will guide you through the components of a price proposal or quote such as: direct costs, indirect costs, profit and taxes. You will learn how to make comprehensive decisions necessary to set a realistic price.

Dissecting an RFQ

Day 1 10/20/2022 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Day 2 10/21/2022 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM

This two-session webinar workshop will provide information and tools on how to extract the important parts of an RFQ and create useful tools for future RFQ's and RFP's. Instructors Matthew Rhinehart, owner of MastPoint and Nicole Hansen with Athenence have 30+ years of experience with the federal government market and are ready to share their knowledge.

Who in the government buys what I sell?

10/27/2022 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Learn how and where to find government contract opportunities. The session will also review the SBA's DSBS (Dynamic Small Business Search) as a no-cost marketing tool.

Upcoming Events - Monthly Sessions

Contracting Coffee Hour

Got contracting questions? We have answers!

9/7/2022 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

10/5/2022 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

PTAC & SBDC First Friday Follow-up

Friday Follow-up is an open forum, round table for businesses to get answers from your local PTAC counselor and SBDC Advisor. Bring your questions regarding government contracting and learn from knowledgeable Small Business Experts. Our main focus is to share resources for growing your business.

No Sept session

10/7/2022 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

SE Washington PTAC/SBDC Small Business Roundtable

The SE WA PTAC/SBDC Business Roundtable is an open forum discussion where you can learn from PTAC about government contracting, and from Business Advisors with the Small Business Development Center about how to grow your business.

9/15/2022 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

10/20/2022 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Wednesday with the Deputy for Small Business

Wednesday with the Deputy for Small Business is an opportunity for Industry partners to learn about doing business with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division, Keyport.

9/28/2022 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

10/25/2022 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Special Tuesday edition

University of Washington Virtual Workshops for Suppliers

The orientations will provide a learning opportunity to assist in navigating potential business prospects at the University and with other state agencies, as well as educational and other resources to assist businesses.

10/6/2022 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Doing Business with the state – DES

On the third Thursday of the month, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM, the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services (DES) facilitates an interactive conversation with state procurement professionals who can provide information and insight on how to do business with the state.

Upcoming Events - Series Courses

2022 Advanced PortGen Workshops

8/23/2022-10/4/2022

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Meets Every Tuesday Registration is still open

The 7-week series of training will cover key projects and professional skills that are essential for effective management of the company. Participants will be introduced to procurement opportunities with Port of Seattle while networking with peers and other public agencies. This program will provide education to small, minority and woman-owned firms focused on doing business with Port of Seattle. The workshop series will utilize subject matter experts that are leaders within the industry. The training program will cover key technical & professional skills that are essential for effective management of the company.

Upcoming Events - Tradeshows and Conferences

Navy Gold Coast

9/6/2022-9/8/2022, San Diego Convention Center, 111 W. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA

International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) 2022

9/12/2022-9/17/2022, McCormick Place, Chicago, IL

NCMS Technology Showcase

9/14/2022 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM and 9/15/2022 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, 100 Washington Ave, Kitsap Conference Center

Regional Contracting Forum

9/21/2022, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Muckleshoot Event Center, 2402 Auburn Way S Free attendance

The Tri-Cities Women in Business Conference

9/21/2022, Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick, WA

26th Annual Washington State BizFair 2022

9/24/2022, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Virtual and in person, Renton Technical College, Renton, WA

Meet the BIGS! Doing Business with the Government

10/25/2022, Northern Quest Resort and Casino 100 N Hayford Rd, Airway Heights, WA

Small Business Summit

10/26/2022, Lynnwood Convention Center, 3711 196th Street Southwest, Lynnwood, WA 98036

Govology classes, live and on demand, are Free for Washington PTAC clients – contact your PTAC counselor for access. Click here for the list of Govology this month’s live classes.

Recorded webinars available.

PTAC CALENDAR

PTAC provides technical assistance to help Washington businesses successfully compete in the government marketplace. A program of the Thurston Economic Development Council, in partnership with the following subcenters: