Powering Up! Small Business Teams

In the current economic climate, teaming has become an increasingly important strategy in pursuing work with the federal government. Join Washington PTAC and Powering Up! Small Business Teams for a Small Business Teaming Success Seminar! Learn from nationally recognized subject matter experts and gain critical information and strategies to help your company become successful at teaming at this impactful event offered at no cost by Powering Up! Small Business Teams and Washington PTAC.

Date:      Friday, June 21, 2013

Time:     8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Place:    Highline Community College      

              2400 S 240th St. Bldg 8

              Mt. Constance/Mt. Olympus Rooms

              Des Moines, WA

Agenda includes:

• Introduction to Teaming in the Federal Market
• Legal Aspects of Teaming and Government Contracting
• Compliant and Effective Teaming Documents
• To Bid or Not to Bid - Win Plans, Teaming Strategies, Themes and Discriminators
• Proposal Writing in the Teaming Environment

Speakers include government contracts attorney Steven Koprince, a partner at Petefish, Immel, Heeb, & Hird LLP. Mr. Koprince is regular speaker and author on the FAR, the SBA affiliation rules, and other legal matters important to small government contractors. He is dedicated to helping small companies successfully navigate the federal market-place, as well as assisting large companies in forming compliant teaming and mentoring relationships with small contractors. He is a graduate of Duke University and the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary.

Registration is required for this event; sign up here.

By Tiffany Scroggs, Washington PTAC Program Director

Most Washington residents are aware of the significant military presence in our state, including one of the country's largest military installations, Joint Base Lewis McChord.  We welcome service members and families to our neighborhoods and encourage them to shop at our retail stores.

But many of us don't fully realize the economic impact this activity brings to our state. If Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) were its own city, it would be the 5^th largest in the state.  Local Navy bases add another 36,000 military personnel, civilians and contractors at the five installations that make up Navy Base Kitsap.  Additionally Navy contracts for FY2010 - 2012 totaled $1.4 billion[1] and JBLM contracts and grants total about $285 million per year[1][2]. 

So how will Sequestration (the Budget Control Act of 2011) impact our region?  When Dept. of Defense cuts hit, they will likely have the greatest impact on R&D and procurement spending according to J.J. Gertler of the Congressional Research Office. At a recent briefing to Defense aerospace contractors, Gertler said these areas are the easiest to cut. In contrast, personnel and healthcare related costs -- a significant portion of the Defense budget -- cannot be reduced.

But prime contractors and businesses seeking to sell to the government shouldn't walk away too quickly.  While procurements for new facilities and equipment may decrease, opportunities supporting the sustainment of the military are likely to increase. Businesses offering equipment modification and facility upgrades should continue to see significant opportunities. 

Recent tours of the Navy Base and JBLM by Washington PTAC Program Director Tiffany Scroggs provided an inside glimpse of how diverse procurement opportunities really are. They include everything from the use of draft horses for low-impact logging to IT services to a $715 million dollar Navy wharf at Bangor. 

Sequestration impacts are far from clear and reduction talks will likely continue over the next decade. What is clear is the abscense of an unfavorable round of Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC), the Navy will still need to maintain its 1,853 buildings and JBLM will continue to support the 63,730 people who work and live on base. 

To better understand and track procurement opportunities on our military installations and at other government agencies, contact your team at the Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). 

Government Contracting Workshops and Events

Washington PTAC counselors across the state are dedicated to providing businesses with no-cost assistance that will help them meet their government contracting goals. If you are a business in Washington State, please reach out to a counselor near you with your questions and challenges related to finding opportunities, bidding on solicitations, networking with primes, getting paid, registrations, certifications, and more!

Interested in a training opportunity not offered in your area? See your PTAC counselor for alternate learning opportunities.

For more information or to register, visit www.washingtonptac.org/events.