Special Event - USDA Small Business Connect

The USDA Small Business Connect event scheduled for June 18, 2013, from 9:00 am to 11:30 am in Washington, DC, was designed to provide small businesses with insights into the Department of Agriculture's IT procurement priorities and opportunities. Given that USDA agencies collectively spend approximately $800 million on IT procurement, this session aimed to help small businesses understand how to position their capabilities to compete effectively for government contracts. Cheryl Cook, USDA’s Chief Information Officer, along with a panel of CIOs from various USDA buying agencies, planned to discuss IT priorities and share valuable information on contracting opportunities. Attendance was free, but registration was mandatory and limited to 100 participants, leading to the session reaching capacity quickly and resulting in registration closure. Participants were required to register by emailing their contact details to Roxanne Lane, the Program Analyst overseeing the event. The session emphasized the importance of achieving the best value for taxpayers through efficient spending in IT procurement and highlighted the commitment of USDA to involve small businesses in their contracting processes. Future sessions were to be announced on the USDA’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization website. The event aligned with NAICS code 921190 and was hosted at a location in Washington, DC, facilitating direct engagement between small businesses and USDA technology procurement decision-makers.