CONGRATS!
You’re In
Please take a minute to review the entire page as it contains pertinent information and requires you to fill a brief form at the end.
The Schedule
Each session will be held from 5:30pm-7:30pm. The first 30 minutes will be dinner served and a guest speaker. The final week is Pitch Day, each business will present a brief about their business capabilities to procurement leads and primes.
Location: 3035 E. Foothill Blvd Pasadena, CA 91107 (Multipurpose Room) | Please note this is held on Pasadena City College’s Extension Campus
Week 1 - Sept 9: Certifications 101
What does it take to be a government contractor
Leveraging certifications - why get certified
Week 2 - Sept 16: Certifications – Tools to Help You Win Contracts
Review certification types (Federal, State, Local, Utilities)
Sam.gov, RAMP Registration
Cak eProcure
Week 3 - Sept 23: Market Research – How Do I Find Opportunities?
Review USASpending.gov - sample queries & business decisions
Statewide Procurement dashboards
Week 4 - Sept 30: RFP Development
Step by step guidance on how to craft a winning RFP
Week 5 - Oct 7: Contract Compliance and Capacity Building
Financial assistance/lines of credit
Bonding
Insurance
Contract Compliance
Capacity Building
Week 6 - Oct 14: Marketing – How Do I Reach Customers (Speak the Government’s Language)
Capabilities Statements
Capabilities Briefings
Events/Activities
Basics of pitching gov’t/primes
Building relationships with agencies
Web design
Week 7 - Oct 21: Demo Day Prep
Professional headshots taken
Week 8 - Oct 28: Pitch Day & Networking
2-minute pitches
Networking with Primes (30 minutes)
FAQs
Can my business partner attend?
Yes! However, we only have capacity for 2 partners/owners.
I don’t have a business partner, can my support staff attend?
This program is designed for business owners. Support staff, such as a dedicated business development person may be granted permission to attend in addition to the owner but only with prior approval and on a case by case basis. Please email wbc@pasadena.edu for approval.
I cannot attend in person, can I attend virtually?
All participants must commit to attend in person. We do understand that life happens. With prior approval you can tune into up to 2 sessions virtually. This excludes Week 7 (October 21st, Pitch Day Prep) and Week 8 (October 28th, Pitch Day).
I do not want to participate in Pitch Day. Can I opt out.
Simply put, no. We will help you prepare and this is a crucial component to the program.
Will this be held again in the future?
We hope so!
What can I expect after this program ends?
So glad you asked! You will receive reimbursement of any certification fees up to $150, a 1 year subscription to HavenProject.io to help you find and bid on contracts (a $1000 value), a professional headshot, networking opportunities with primes and procurement leads, and hopefully a new network of like-minded business owners!
More questions/concerns? Email us! wbc@pasadena.edu
