Wednesday, May 28
8:00 AM
Registration and Networking
9:00 AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Master of Ceremonies: Byron Hicks, SBTDC
9:15 AM
Marketplace Exhibit Area Opens
Market your products and services directly to government agencies and prime contractors
10:00 AM
Government Contracting 101: Getting Started
- Overview of federal government procurement
- Procurement types and requirements
- How to find and respond to opportunities
- Federal certifications and affiliations
- Common mistakes new contractors make and how to avoid them
Rebuilding and Adapting: Staying Competitive in the New Procurement Era
- Changes and in federal procurement priorities under the new administration
- Adapting to budget cuts and reduced contract awards
- Strategies for businesses to remain competitive
11:30 AM
Luncheon with Keynote Speaker
1:15 PM
State and Local Contracting Opportunities
- Differences between federal, state and local procurement processes
- How to register and navigate state and municipal procurement portals
- Finding and responding to state and local opportunities
Winning in a Tight Market: Proposal Strategies for Competitive Bids
- Best practices for writing competitive proposals when funding is limited
- Understanding how contracting officers evaluate bids
- How to demonstrate value beyond pricing
Innovation Funding for Small Business
- Overview of Federal SBIR/STTR R&D Funding Programs
- How to identify the target funding agencies
- Resources to assist with proposal development
- Tracking Innovation trends across NC
- Additional NC funding for SBIR/STTR applicants and awardees
2:45 PM
Building a Winning Strategy: Networking, Subcontracting and Prime Partnerships
- How to establish relationships with agencies and prime contractors
- The role of subcontracting and how to find teaming opportunities
- Compliance considerations for small businesses
- Small business subcontractor success stories
Teaming, Partnerships and Non-Traditional Contracts
- Using teaming, joint ventures, and mentor-protegee programs
- Leveraging OTAs, cooperative agreements, and other non-traditional contracting methods
- Best practices for betting and managing partnerships
Commercializing Innovations for Government Procurement
- How to transition R&D and prototypes into government-funded solutions
- Defining the commercialization pathway
- Small business successes from innovation to contract
- Key learnings from the transition process