Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Vendor Outreach Sessions kicked off their Fiscal Year 2018 session schedule this week, giving small businesses a chance to connect with DHS officials and prime contractors. The sessions provide a get-to-know-you opportunity for both vendors and DHS officials.
As space for these highly sought-after sessions fills up quickly, Kevin Boshears, director, DHS Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, spoke to Homeland411 offering suggestions on how aspiring vendors can get the most out of meeting with DHS officials and prime contractors.
“The primary purpose is to give the small businesses an opportunity to discuss their capabilities, learn about procurement opportunities by meeting with the DHS small business specialists who work in our DHS components, and also several large business prime contractors each month,” Boshears said.
Starting with October’s session, the first for FY 2018, the department introduced a new electronic scheduling system to make it easier for companies to register. But small businesses wishing to attend a session need to be ready.
“First of all, a company can create their profile at any time, so if you’re planning to come, do that before the registration opens,” Boshears said. “Then, at noon on the appointed time one week before the event takes place, that’s the time to go in and try to schedule the appointments of [your] choice.”
Once registered, the most important thing a small business can do is prepare. With each individual meeting only 15 minutes long during the three-hour session, it’s a proverbial “speed dating” business experience, according to Boshears.
“Do a little bit of homework in advance, and research what your DHS component of interest is planning to buy, by looking at our forecast, so you can start lining up things that you’re interested in with what that component is buying,” he added.
Vendors scheduled to attend should explore the “monthly research” section of the registration/login page for the sessions. Here vendors will learn in advance the DHS counselors who will attend, as well as the large business prime contractors who will also be present at the upcoming session.
“The idea is to help the small businesses determine who they want to meet with and make good use of their time,” Boshears said. “You want to hit the high spots, and then, if there’s a mutual interest, then follow up, of course, is the next step.”
While sessions are quick, feedback from participating small businesses is quite positive. Boshears noted that in FY 2016, 97 percent of the participants rated the events “excellent” or “good” (66 percent and 31 percent respectively).
Boshears did similar work with the Treasury Department before joining DHS in 2003, so he has a long track record of finding what works and adjusting along the way. Over the years, DHS has modified the number of appointments a company could schedule to allow more to participate. Currently a company can participate in three appointments.
Other slight modifications include inserting a break time into the fast-paced three-hour session. It not only allows participants to take a break, but is also an opportunity for them to network with one another as well.
Throughout the year, many of the monthly sessions are open to all small businesses, but some months are targeted to specific types of vendors. In honor of Veterans Day in November, the session is reserved for service-disabled veterans and veteran-owned small businesses. In March, sessions are reserved for women-owned small businesses in recognition of Women’s History Month. May sessions are reserved for Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small businesses, and August sessions are reserved for Small and Disadvantaged Business entities.
DHS holds the monthly sessions at the Homeland Security Acquisition Institute, 90 K St., NE, in Washington, DC.
“We think we’re going to continue our practice of having a large number of satisfied small businesses who come,” Boshears said. “And we think the new scheduling system will be a little bit easier for companies to register.”
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