The virtual discussion will address Arkansas as a potential client.
The Arkansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center is hosting a free virtual workshop Feb. 11 called Selling to the State of Arkansas. Participants will learn about state procurement regulations and procedures for submitting bids with the state, according to a news release.
The Arkansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center is housed at the Cooperative Extension Service, which is part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. It provides government contracting technical assistance to Arkansas small businesses.
In 2020, the center’s clients received more than $204 million in federal, state and local government contracts. Of that, $9.4 million were from state and local contracts. That equates to 4,342 jobs created or retained in the state.
“Arkansas PTAC has worked very hard over the past few years to connect our small business clients to purchasing officials within the federal, state and local government,” PTAC program director Melanie Berman said. “Sometimes the most difficult part of selling to the government is understanding what each government agency’s preferred process is for vendors.”
During the workshop, PTAC counselors will teach participants what is needed to sell to the state of Arkansas. Leaders from the Office of State Procurement will also share best practices for vendors, and participants will be able to ask questions.
In Aug. 2017, Gov. Asa Hutchinson and officials with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission announced the state’s Small and Minority Business Program mission would be expanded to include women-owned businesses and it was renamed the Division of Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise. New annual spending targets for the state were also set at 8 percent for minority businesses, 5 percent for women-owned businesses and 2 percent for service-disabled veterans in construction, goods and services.
Selling to the State of Arkansas is scheduled for 1 to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 11. Attendance is free, but registration is required. More information is available at the Arkansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center’s website.