White House Cabinet Secretary and Secretary LaHood Headline OSDBU Small Business Vendor Day

On November 18, 2010 the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization presented DOT Small Business Vendor Day, which focused on procurement opportunities announced in the FY2011 Procurement Forecast with an emphasis on Small and Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs). This event provided an opportunity for SDBs and other small businesses to learn about DOT procurement and meet with representatives of contracting agencies.

“Today’s event provided small businesses of all types the opportunity to meet small business specialists, prime contractors, and state officials as well as learn best practices for success. OSDBU is committed to helping small businesses get their fair share of DOT contracts through outreach, technical assistance, and capacity building. We are fortunate to have such strong support from Secretary LaHood and the White House, who both share the belief that small businesses are the key to economic recovery,” said OSDBU Director Brandon Neal.

The Small Business Vendor Day program, which was held at DOT Headquarters, included Secretary LaHood, Christopher Lu, Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary, as well as a small business success story panel comprised of small business owners currently working with DOT. Following the speaker portion, a matchmaking session with procurement specialists, banks and prime contractors allowed small businesses to network and learn about opportunities within DOT and its modal operations.

Director Neal, Secretary LaHood, and Mr, Lu discussed new regulations and programs impacting small businesses, and the subsequent panel discussed successful growth strategies and marketing techniques for Federal procurement. Information was also provided on the major DOT Operating Administrations.

Small businesses later had the opportunity to network with modal small business specialists, acquisition professionals, technical program managers, SBA Procurement Center Representatives (PCRs), local area Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) managers, banks and prime contractors.

The event was attended by over 250 people from as far away as California, Texas, and Washington State.