Forest Service offers workshop for small businesses interested in wildfire contracts

The U.S. Forest Service on Monday issued the following press release on a two-day workshop in Leadville for businesses interested in landing government contracts to support the agency’s wildland firefighting:

The USDA Forest Service and Colorado Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) are co-hosting a two-day workshop June 8-9 in Leadville for small businesses interested in government contracts to support the Forest Service and wildland firefighting. 

“We are looking for a wide range of vendors who can support wildfire incidents as well as other Forest Service programs, including companies who offer dumpsters, heavy equipment, and specific incident support such as portable toilets, mobile kitchens, and laundry trailers, to name a few,” said Melissa Maestas, a Forest Service Contract Specialist.

Colorado PTAC is a non-profit organization that provides free support to help small businesses grow with federal, state and local government contracts. It’s also referred to as an Apex Accelerator.

“We link the needs of government agencies with interested companies and provide guidance throughout the entire acquisition process,” said Colorado PTAC Director Patrick McGlew. “We’re offering one-on-one counseling for interested vendors as part of this workshop.” 

The workshop runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 8 and from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on June 9. Topics will include what free services PTAC provides businesses, how to become a government contractor, how to find government contracting opportunities, and one-on-one time with PTAC counselors. The Small Business Administration as well as Small Business Development Center will also be presenting and offering counseling opportunities.

The workshop will at the Colorado Mountain College Leadville Campus, 901 South Highway 24.

Register for the workshops at https://coptac.ecenterdirect.com/events/34774?embedded=0 (June 8) and https://coptac.ecenterdirect.com/events/34780?embedded=0 (June 9). For more information, contact Tom Fuller, (719) 493-0553, t.fuller@coloradoptac.org. 

The Procurement Technical Assistance Program was authorized by Congress in 1985 in an effort to expand the number of businesses capable of participating in the Government Marketplace. Administered by the Department of Defense, Office of Small Business Programs, the program provides matching funds through cooperative agreements with state and local governments and non-profit organizations for the establishment of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers to provide procurement assistance. For more information, visit www.coloradoptac.org.