DATE: January 08, 2024
TIME: 7:30 - 9:30 AM
LOCATION: USF Connect Building, 3802 Spectrum Blvd, Tampa
Program:
Federal, State and Local governments are often wonderful customers. Understanding the barriers to entry can seem steep. Here we will focus on how to navigate the waters of government procurement. Our initial focus will be federal government procurement as we drill down. This session will provide an overview of a multibillion dollar per year industry populated by hundreds of thousands of competing contractors. Dominated by red tape and regulations, navigating these waters can be daunting. Spending patterns, acronyms, contradictory guidance and every-changing political administrations keep this evolving industry difficult to comprehend even for the seasoned experts. But just like many things, patterns began to appear, and order comes from chaos. In this hour-long course, we will discuss how the Federal Contracting Officer views risk, capability, and value. These three factors drive selection of all contract awards across the entire government thereby influencing the means and manner companies partner. The government customer is unique because their value proposition is unique. With their stakeholders as taxpayers, the government values things differently than commercial business. This unique positioning drives sales approaches and forces considerations not otherwise emphasized.
Speaker:
Mr. Andy Bennett, PMP has dedicated his professional career to educating and mentoring Small Business Owners through the entire government contracting and acquisitions process. Mr. Bennett grew up in the Tampa, Florida area where he met his high school sweetheart and now wife, Emily. He graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 2002 and became a Communications Officer on Active Duty where he gained first-hand experience through the federal acquisitions process and how mystifying and cumbersome it can be. After deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr. Bennett separated from military service and shifted his focus to education and mentorship of Small Business Owners and Veterans on the benefits and nuances to this sector. For more than 22 years, Mr. Bennett has guided hundreds of entrepreneurs and business owners. Currently, he provides consulting services, mentorship and education courses while also volunteering as a Boy Scout Leader and USA Swimming Official through the activities of their four children.
Defense Acquisition University and Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) contracting, project management, finance and acquisitions certified. Project Management Institute certified Project Management Professional. Recent recognized as the Suzie Steiner Community Impact Speaker for entrepreneur workshop speaking. Judge and mentor for the annual Veterans Entrepreneurship Training Symposium. Regular mentor, advisor, speaker and workshop facilitator for the InLab at Hillsborough Community College, Syracuse University Startup Training Resources to Inspire Veteran Entrepreneurship (STRIVE), and D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF).
2nd Speaker:
Mr. Ryan Kanne is from the Department of Commerce, US Commercial Service. He will be in attendance and speak about International Resources (US manufacturers selling to foreign countries).
3 key takeaways
- Government LOVES US-Owned, Small Businesses, that make things.
- You ARE a small business if you have less than 500 employees.
- Red tape is real, but they pay their bills on NET10 terms.
Who should attend?
Owners/Sales Managers interested in diversifying cash flow.
LOCATION:
USF Connect Building, 3814 Spectrum Blvd – The Discovery Hall
Corner of Spectrum & Fowler
