Unlocking Opportunities: A Two-Day Small Business Development Series in Hilo for Working with Government Entities

The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are hosting a free two-day Small Business Development Series in Hilo for small business owners interested in working with government entities. This event, which takes place on Tuesday, April 23 at 9 a.m. and Wednesday, April 24 at 8:30 a.m., will be held at the Hawaii Innovation Center located at 117 Keawe Street in Hilo.

The series is designed to provide small- and minority-owned businesses with valuable tips on marketing to government agencies, including military and civilian entities. Topics covered include registering in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov), getting certified with the federal government’s 8(a) Program, and becoming a certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and/or Small Business Enterprise (SBE).

In addition to these topics, attendees can also participate in a DBE/SBE Application Workshop where the DBE Team will guide them through preparing electronic documents for their application to the DBE Program. Other topics covered include where to find state contracting information, meeting leaders from government agencies, creating/updating marketing capability statements, financing and bonding for government contracts, veterans’ certification, and acquiring surplus property.

Advanced registration is required as space is limited for this event. There will be no virtual attendance option available for attendees. For more information and to register, visit https://forms.office.com/g/cW23X5M7rs or scan the QR code provided. If accommodations are needed due to a disability or language interpretation, contact the SBA at 808-541-2990 as soon as possible, with requests made at least two weeks prior to the event having a better chance of being fulfilled.

Small business owners should not miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and tools for working with government entities!