Are you a small business owner in Georgia looking to pivot into federal, state, or local contracting - as a prime or subcontractor? If so, are there relevant contracting assistance programs or socio-economic certifications you can leverage? Public sector examples include WOSB, SDB, 8(a), HUB Zone, VOSB/SDVOSB, DBE, etc. Or, is your business looking to expand into (major) corporate contracting by leveraging supplier diversity initiatives - with a WBE and/or MBE certification?  What do these acronyms mean?

This introductory class provides an overview of notable contracting assistance programs and socio-economic certifications for small business, core eligibility requirements, and keys to leveraging such programs or certifications. 

Course Outline

• Overview of public sector vs. private sector procurement for small business.
• How can contracting assistance programs and socio-economic certifications help?
• Navigating key eligibility and registration requirements:
• Public sector: federal, state, local. Examples include WOSB, SDB, 8(a), HUBZone, VOSB/SDVOSB, DBE, some local/county or municipal approaches, etc.
• Private sector: MBE and WBE certifications.
• Pointers on leveraging certifications: some business development considerations.

• Gain an understanding about notable contracting assistance programs and socio-economic certifications in the public and private procurement sectors such as:
• Public sector: WOSB (Women-Owned Small Business), SDB (Small Disadvantaged Business) and the 8(a) Business Development Program, HUB Zone (Historically Underutilized Business Zones), VOSB/SDVOSB (Veteran-Owned Small Business), DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise), etc.
• Private sector: WBE (Women's Business Enterprise) and MBE (Minority Business Enterprise).
• Learn the key differences between the featured programs
• Learn about the eligibility requirements for all the programs