🖥️Windows of Opportunity (WBC 12/07/26)

Event description

• What supplier diversity is and why it matters: A foundational overview of supplier diversity—how it aims to help diverse-owned businesses win competitive supplier contracts—and why relationships and connections can help drive growth
• How government contracting works (and where the opportunity is): An introduction to federal contracting and the Small Business Administration (SBA), including what qualifies as a “small business” for federal contracting (industry size standards/NAICS-driven)
• Government supplier diversity programs and certifications: An overview of key SBA contracting assistance programs (e.g., SDB, Women-Owned, Veteran, 8(a), HUBZone, Mentor-Protégé) and how set-aside vs. sole-source contracts can reduce competition
• Corporate supplier diversity programs and the value of certification: How private-sector certifications act as a “stamp of approval,” can help you get discovered by purchasing teams, access corporation-specific programs, enter larger markets, and potentially improve access to loans/investors
• How to prepare, apply, and maximize your certification: Practical steps to get “certification-ready” (clean GAAP-aligned financials, documentation, site visit/interview prep), how to create key artifacts like a capability statement and respond to RFPs, and how to network/follow up to make the most of certification once you have it