It is my pleasure to introduce you to the Vermont Procurement Technical Assistance Center (VTPTAC). The center exists for just one reason: to help Vermont businesses succeed in obtaining Government contracts. The center offers free counseling services to Vermont businesses and assists them in learning how to bid on Government contracts at the federal, state and local level.

• Increase the percentage of federal contracts being awarded to Vermont businesses with particular emphasis on contracts awarded to small businesses. The federal spending can flow to businesses either as direct contract recipients or through subcontractors to prime contractors with federal Government contracts.     
• Ensure that Vermont businesses are awarded the maximum number of contracts possible under state and local contracting invitations to bid.
• Facilitate business to business commerce opportunities for Vermont businesses.  

Our strategy for accomplishing this mission is to provide assistance to Vermont businesses in three areas: 

• Knowledge - Have trained and certified counselors located at the center that can provide businesses with an understanding of the requirements of government contracting/ subcontracting and the know-how to obtain and successfully perform on federal, state, and local contracts. Assist businesses in setting up access to procurement databases which will allow them to bid on Government contracts. Assist businesses in finding the answers that they require relative to the procurement process.
• Experience- Have experienced personnel who can help businesses understand what they might expect from the bidding process. An example of this would be when the Department of Defense determines that a Pre-Award Survey is necessary and sends Government representatives to contractor’s facility in order to make an evaluation of that contractor.  The evaluation, which may cover areas of finance, production capability and quality control procedures among other areas, helps the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO), reach a determination as to the company’s suitability for a contract award.
•  Support – Provide one on one assistance and counseling to Vermont businesses in bid and contract performance. Work with Federal Agencies and Federal Prime Contractors to meet their federally mandated goals for the awarding of contracts to small businesses including: SDB/8a, HUB Zone, Veteran Owned / Service Disabled, and Woman Owned businesses.  Provide assistance to Vermont companies in identifying, bidding on, and winning:  grants for Small Business Innovation Research programs and R&D opportunities. Click on the highlighted area for more information.  Facilitate a “matchmaking” service to all Vermont businesses by matching buyers with sellers through planned events. Provide training for Vermont businesses in the field of Government contracting.  Provide government market research and market assessment to Vermont businesses.