Upcoming conferences unite veteran-owned small businesses with federal buyers

On Monday, Oct. 29, 2007, the first Veterans Small Business Matchmaking Conference will be held in San Antonio, Texas. The next event is slated for Nov. 9, in Sacramento, Calif., with additional cities to be selected in 2008.

Each conference will welcome veteran-owned small businesses from across the United States, offering an information-packed agenda that will educate participants about federal contracting opportunities.

A range of seminars and workshops will be presented, complete with key resources and tools that can enhance contracting success. At the event, participants also can schedule a face-to-face meeting with representatives from specific government agencies. The Oct. 29 conference will include procurement representatives from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Department of Transportation, GSA, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas state government and others.

In order to participate in the matchmaking component, participants must have a DUNS number, which is a nine-digit sequence recognized as the universal standard for identifying businesses. Participants also must be registered with CCR (Central Contractor Registration), which is the primary vendor database for the federal government. Both current and potential government vendors are required to register in CCR to be awarded federal contracts.

For more information about the conferences, including online registration, visit http://www. connectingsmallbusiness.com/.