JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (March 7, 2022) -- Small business professionals from across the Mission and Installation Contracting Command are teaming with the Virginia Procurement Technical Assistance Center to conduct one-on-one meetings with small businesses during a matchmaking event May 23 and 24.
Register: 2022 PTAC Conference and Matchmaker
Approximately 20 MICC contracting officers and contract specialists as well as representatives from supported mission partners are taking part in the hybrid event consisting of both in-person and virtual meetings as a follow-on to the MICC Advanced Planning Briefings to Industry taking place this week as an overview of forecasted contract needs by the Army.
“Small businesses will be able to utilize the forecast and requirements briefed at the APBI to determine which contracting officer or customer to meet with during the matchmaking event,” said Amy Ulisse, an assistant director for the office of small business programs at MICC Field Directorate Office in Fort Eustis, Virginia. “Contracting officers are able to potentially engage small business contractors that could support acquisitions they were currently working, which can positively impact market research in developing a successful market research strategy.”
Ulisse, who led planning for the APBI, likened the style of the matchmaking event to speed dating, allowing small business representatives from around the world to share their capability briefings and how they can support the MICC and Army missions. She said it was through her relationship with Virginia PTAC operations manager Elizabeth Torrens and the success of last year’s matchmaking event that the MICC is able to serve as a core government host this year.
“Because this is a hybrid event, with the first day taking place in-person with a virtual option, we expect to have over 300 registrants signed up and are planning for about half of those registrants to join us at the George Mason University-Arlington campus,” Torrens said. “This is our first event not attached to a specific agency where we are bringing together the efforts of the three local PTACs including D.C., Maryland and Virginia, and we look forward to bringing together a good mix of attendees representing both agencies, large primes and small business contractors.”
The combined effort by the PTACs follows a June 2021 announcement by the presidential administration to grow federal contracting with small disadvantaged businesses by 50 percent over five years. Torrens expects that increase to prompt involvement by small business that may not have previously participated in the government contracting process.
“The PTAC mission is to prepare disadvantaged firms to compete as responsible and responsive bidders as well as assisting primes and federal agencies to connect with those firms,” added Lisa Wood, the statewide director for the Virginia PTAC. “This event will hopefully showcase some disadvantaged firms that were, in the past, not noticed.”
In addition to the matchmaking, the two-day event includes speakers and panels covering contracted opportunities in the professional services, construction and IT sectors. Agenda topics include taking advantage of resource partners, competing as a small business, creating a Dynamic Small Business Search profile. In addition to the MICC, several large prime contractors and federal agencies are scheduled to take part in the two-day event.
“We expect to see a broad mix of agencies and primes represented,” Torrens said. “It’s very important that we keep strong lines of communication open between the PTACs and government agencies so we can serve as bridge to help make sense of the often complicated process of bidding and performing on government contracts.”
Ulisse said those participating in this week’s APBI as well as those who may have missed the registration cutoff may still review the MICC’s three-year acquisition forecast, consolidated daily slide briefings as well as APBI video presentations that will be posted to SAM.gov after this week to become familiar with the MICC and its future acquisition requirements.
Related: ABPI slide briefings for March 7, March 8, March 9 and March 10
“Small businesses are able to do their homework prior to attending the matchmaking session, making it more worthwhile for the government host and industry,” Ulisse said.
For additional information or to submit capability statements, small business representatives may also contact the MICC small business professional nearest them from the small business tab at www.army.mil/micc/.
About the MICC
Headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the Mission and Installation Contracting Command consists of about 1,300 military and civilian members who are responsible for contracting goods and services in support of Soldiers as well as readying trained contracting units for the operating force and contingency environment when called upon. As part of its mission, MICC contracts are vital in feeding more than 200,000 Soldiers every day, providing many daily base operations support services at installations, facilitate training in the preparation of more than 100,000 conventional force members annually, training more than 500,000 students each year, and maintaining more than 14.4 million acres of land and 170,000 structures.
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