Wisconsin Procurement Institute

2022 Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Federal Small Business Conference
2022-11-02 - 2022-11-04 | Music City Center, 201 Rep. John Lewis Way South, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
SAME’s 2022 Federal Small Business Conference (SBC) is headed to Nashville, TN, November 2-4, 2022. Click here to register today!
The Small Business Conference for the Federal Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Facility Maintenance/Management Industry (SBC) brings together federal agencies and businesses operating in the federal marketplace to:

Deliver the most comprehensive and useful market research experience possible for all attendees
Learn of and/or share upcoming contracting opportunities for small businesses
Connect with teaming partners
Support the nation’s contracting goals
Engage in above-board networking between private companies and federal program managers and procurement/contracting officers.

To read more about this event, click here.

DoD Supplier Roadmap Series: Non-Traditional Acquisition Methods
2022-11-03 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | WI
The next DoD Supplier Roadmap series webinar on “Non-Traditional Acquisition Methods” will be held on Thursday, November 3 at 1:00 PM. To register, please click here.
Welcome to the DoD Supplier Roadmap series. This series is designed to help manufacturers enter and compete in the DoD Marketplace. It is designed to help you understand the DoD market, the environment, and most of all the amazing variety of opportunities that are available. The series touches on the key elements of doing business with DoD which range from how to locate opportunities, identifying customers, the essential role of past performance and most importantly considerations related to developing a DoD Business Strategy. We hope that you find our DoD Supplier Roadmap series for manufacturers to be informative, useful and that one resource that can help kick-start your efforts to taking advantage of this market and its opportunities. Anytime you have a question about Federal and/or DoD contracting please call WPI’s main office at 414-270-3600 or email info@wispro.org Our services are always available at no cost and our staff is always ready to provide technical assistance.
Non-traditional acquisition methods can encompass a host of acquisition methodologies. One example is Other Transactions (OT) and Teaming arrangements. It is critical that that a company fully understand the nuances of these methods and seek guidance as required.
OTs are not covered by the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and are a highly flexible business tool, use of which requires the application of astute business acumen to ensure the smarter, more efficient acquisition of prototype systems for the DoD. OTs require a minimum of at least one non-traditional Defense Contractor participating to a significant extent in the project or a cost-sharing arrangement requiring that at least one-third of the cost of the OTs come from non-Federal sources (ex. Universities).
Teaming arrangements can take many forms. Simply put, a teaming agreement is an agreement to allow a prime contractor to form a DoD-sanctioned partnership with a subcontractor. This allows the subcontractor to enhance the relationship with the prime by utilizing the very best capabilities of the relationship.

Speaker: Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
This webinar is eligible for 1 CPE credit.
To view the full schedule of DoD Supplier Roadmap Series webinars, please click here.

Cyber Friday: Developing and Implementing Essential Security Policies, Practices, and Procedures
2022-11-04 11:00 - 12:00 | WI
The Cyber Friday series will continue with the topic, “Developing and Implementing Essential Security Policies, Practices, and Procedures” on Friday, November 4, at 11:00 AM. To register, please click here.
Cybersecurity does not exist solely by virtue of regulations, contractual requirement, or because someone says that it is required. Cybersecurity requires a positive corporate environment, support, and effort to achieve the proper blend of knowledge, actions and both software and hardware. By themselves, these elements will provide a degree of cybersecurity. However, to achieve the level of cybersecurity required by DoD, companies must take time to develop and implement policies, practices, and procedures. This webinar will discuss the types of documentation that companies should develop during their planning, implementation, and operational phases of creating their cybersecurity programs.
Speaker: Marc Violante, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
For the full schedule of the Cyber Friday webinars, please click here.
This webinar is eligible for 1 CPE credit.

Sales Opportunities with Dane County – In Person
2022-11-09 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Area Technical College (MATC) Goodman South Campus, 2429 Perry Street, Madison, WI, 53713, United States
Significant opportunities exist for small businesses to sell to local government agencies in Dane County.
Please join us and learn about how to do business with these agencies.
Presentations will be followed by the opportunity for networking with the buyers.

Agenda:
11:00am to 11:15am: Agency presentation
Speakers will discuss:

What & how they buy
How they announce opportunities
First Steps – registrations, certifications, other requirements

11:15am to 12 noon: Networking

Attendees should be ready with a capabilities statement and prepared pitch to take advantage of the meeting time.
Assistance to prepare is available with WPI – contact WPI staff at MichaelS@wispro.org or 414-270-3600.

CLICK HERE to view other sessions in the series SALES OPPORTUNITIES WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Wisconsin Veterans Business Conference
2022-11-10 08:00 - 18:00 | Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N. Water Street, Milwaukee, WI, 53202
The Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce is hosting their 5th annual Wisconsin Veterans Business Conference on Thursday, November 10 from 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM at the Marcus Performing Arts Center. To register please click here.
Attendees have all-day access to:

Over 100 business and resource exhibitors
Informative breakout sessions
Numerous networking opportunities
Lunch and awards program
Evening networking reception
…and much more!

DoD Supplier Roadmap Series: Information Types and Handling Procedures
2022-11-10 13:00 - 14:00 | WI
The next DoD Supplier Roadmap Series webinar on “Information Types & Handling Procedures” will be held on November 10 at 1:00 PM. To register, please click here.
Welcome to the DoD Supplier Roadmap series. This series is designed to help manufacturers enter and compete in the DoD Marketplace. It is designed to help you understand the DoD market, the environment, and most of all the amazing variety of opportunities that are available. The series touches on the key elements of doing business with DoD which range from how to locate opportunities, identifying customers, the essential role of past performance and most importantly considerations related to developing a DoD Business Strategy. We hope that you find our DoD Supplier Roadmap series for manufacturers to be informative, useful and that one resource that can help kick-start your efforts to taking advantage of this market and its opportunities. Anytime you have a question about Federal and/or DoD contracting please call WPI’s main office at 414-270-3600 or email info@wispro.org Our services are always available at no cost and our staff is always ready to provide technical assistance.
Information handling procedures for DoD contractors can encompasses ITAR requirements, the Joint Certification Program (JCP), Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and DIBBS C Folders. This session will share how to determine if these requirements apply and an overview of the application and compliance process. During this session, we will also share advice on how to prepare and implement processes to support continued confidence in your information handling procedures.

Speaker: Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
This webinar is eligible for 1 CPE credit.
To view the full schedule of DoD Supplier Roadmap Series webinars, please click here.

Sales Opportunities with Local Government Agencies - Green Bay Area (Virtual)
2022-11-10 13:00 - 15:00 | WI
Registration now open! Click here!
Significant opportunities exist for small businesses to sell to local government agencies in and around Green Bay. Please join us and learn about how to do business with government agencies in the area.
Presentations will be followed by the opportunity for limited one-on-one meetings with Buyers. Meetings between Buyers and Registrants will be coordinated by WPI. Please indicate interest in meetings when registering for this event.
WPI strongly recommends you have a current capabilities statement ready prior to your meetings. Attendees should be ready with a capabilities statement and prepared pitch to take advantage of the meeting time. Assistance to prepare is available with WPI – contact their staff at MichaelS@wispro.org or 414-270-3600.
Speakers will discuss:

What & how they buy
How they announce opportunities
First Steps – registrations, certifications, other requirements
Provisions for non-performance /Force Majeure

Presenters:

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College – CONFIRMED
City of Green Bay – CONFIRMED
Green Bay Area Public School District- CONFIRMED
UW-Green Bay – PENDING
Tru Mwololo, Manager, Small Business Programs, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
Benjamin Blanc, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute

CLICK HERE to view other sessions in the series SALES OPPORTUNITIES WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Startup Week Wisconsin - Appleton
2022-11-14 - 2022-11-18 | Fox Valley Technical College DJ Bordini Center, 5 N Systems Dr, Appleton, WI, 54914, United States
Save the date! Fox Valley Technical College Venture Center, UW-Extension Outagamie and Winnebago County are hosting their annual, weekly, statewide event, Startup Week Wisconsin on November 14 – 18, 2022 at the D.J Bordini Center and multiple other locations within the Fox cities.
Join communities throughout the New North region, and in Appleton, for panel discussions, interactive events, tours, pitch competitions, pop-up shops, and events that celebrate entrepreneurs. For more information, please click here.

DLA TKO: Casting and Forging
2022-11-15 13:00 - 14:00 | WI
A Defense Logistic Agency (DLA) Training, Knowledge, and Opportunities (TKO) seminar will be held November 15, 2022 1-2 PM CST. The topic will be, “Casting and Forging.” To register, please click here. From the drop down menu, please select “DLA Land and Maritime,” then select the TKO seminar(s) you would like to register for.
Virtual TKO Seminars and Webinars are collective and/or individual sessions that teach vendors how to start doing business with Defense Logistics Agency. Vendors learn how to find open solicitations, how to submit a quote through the DLA Internet Bid Board System (DIBBS), the procedures for viewing/downloading drawings, and many other topics. These courses are designed for dealers, distributors, and manufacturers, but NOT a company that provides “services.” All sessions are held virtually and free of charge.

Government Opportunities Business Day in Partnership with Truax Field/ 115th Fighter Wing
2022-11-15 13:30 - 16:00 | WI
Big changes are coming! The 115th Fighter Wing in Madison, WI will host an information and opportunities session for interested businesses on November 15 from 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM (registration closes Nov. 7).
Over the last several years, Truax Field and the 115th Fighter Wing based in Madison, WI have been in the news. Last year, the Air Force selected the 115th as one of two units in the country to get the next group of F-35s. The planes will replace the 115th’s aging F-16s. The first F-35s are set to arrive at Truax in 2023. On October 5, the last F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft left Truax Field. https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Article/3181247/115th-fighter-wing-celebrates-end-of-f-16-era-at-truax-field/ The first contract supporting this transition was awarded in 2021.
Learn about upcoming contracting opportunities and meet with Buyer representatives from Truax Field and the 115th Fighter Wing during this Nov. 15 event. Opportunities include:

Construction
Environmental
Janitorial
Catering
Lodging
Other categories supporting the base and base operations

Program details are below. For questions, contact Kim Garber with Wisconsin Procurement Institute at KimG@wispro.org.
AGENDA
1:30-2:30 – Agency Presentation
Topics will include:
What & how they buy
How they announce opportunities
First Steps – registrations, certifications, other requirements
Wisconsin Inspire
2:30-4:00 – Networking and Meetings
One on One with Buyer

Acquisition Hour: Certifications for Veteran Owned Businesses
2022-11-16 11:00 - 12:00 | WI
The next Acquisition Hour webinar on “Certifications for Veteran Owned Businesses” will be held on November 16 at 11:00 AM. To register, please click here.
Securing government contracts and subcontracts is not easy. As a Veteran Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs) or Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) you may gain preference when competing for contracts with the State of Wisconsin and Federal government agencies.
This webinar will focus on the various veteran owned business certifications and the basics of qualifying and applying. It will also provide an update on upcoming changes to the Federal certification programs.
In this webinar, businesses will learn more about certifications offered by the:
· State of Wisconsin Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise (DVB) certification
· Vets First Verification Program (CVE) – for veteran and service disabled veteran owned firms looking to do business with the US Department of Veterans Affairs (and FAA)
· US SBA Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Program (SDVOSB) – for firms working with Federal agencies other than the US Department of Veterans Affairs
· Other certifications

Speakers:
Shane Mahaffy, Lead Business Opportunity Specialist, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
Kim Garber, Director-Small Business Programs, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
This webinar is eligible for 1 CPE credit.
View a schedule of all upcoming Acquisition Hour webinars.

The Basics of Doing Business with the Government
2022-11-16 11:00 - 12:00 | CoLab, 131 S Barstow St Suite 202, Eau Claire, WI, 54701, United States
CoLab presents The Basics of Doing Business with the Government on November 16, 2022 from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM in person at CoLab in Eau Claire, WI as well as virtual. Click here to register.
Are you interested in learning how to sell your product or service to the Federal, Local, and State Governments? Join Wisconsin Procurement Institute to learn the basics of how to sell to Local, State or Federal government agencies. Attendees will be asked to introduce themselves and their businesses at the start of the session. At the end of the presentation – the session will open for questions.
The main presenter will be WPI’s own Government Contract Specialist Ben Blanc. To read more click here.

Acquisition Hour: Preparing for One-on-One Buyer Meetings
2022-11-16 13:00 - 14:00 | WI
The next Acquisition Hour on, “Preparing for One-on-One Buyer Meetings” will be held on Wednesday, November 16 at 1:00 PM. To register, please click here.
Opportunities are coming up for small businesses to meet with Government Agencies and their Prime Contractors. To take full advantage of these opportunities, you must do your homework and be prepared. In preparation, a business must have done their market research on the buyers / primes, determine the value or solution that their business can provide to the buyers / primes, have a business card, a well prepared and focused capabilities statement, and a prepared elevator pitch.
Join Kim Garber from WPI for a discussion on how to prepare for one-on-one buyer meetings. If you are planning to attend The Contracting Academy (TCA), In-person / Virtual local buyer meetings and/or Marketplace Wisconsin and would like assistance in preparing for your meetings, contact Kim Garber at kimg@wispro.org.

Speakers: Kim Garber, Director-Small Business Programs, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
View a schedule of all upcoming Acquisition Hour webinars.

DoD Supplier Roadmap Series: Developing a DoD Business Strategy
2022-11-17 13:00 - 14:00 | WI
The next DoD Supplier Roadmap Series webinar on “Developing a DoD Business Strategy” will be held on November 17 at 1:00 PM. To register, please click here.
Welcome to the DoD Supplier Roadmap series. This series is designed to help manufacturers enter and compete in the DoD Marketplace. It is designed to help you understand the DoD market, the environment, and most of all the amazing variety of opportunities that are available. The series touches on the key elements of doing business with DoD which range from how to locate opportunities, identifying customers, the essential role of past performance and most importantly considerations related to developing a DoD Business Strategy. We hope that you find our DoD Supplier Roadmap series for manufacturers to be informative, useful and that one resource that can help kick-start your efforts to taking advantage of this market and its opportunities. Anytime you have a question about Federal and/or DoD contracting please call WPI’s main office at 414-270-3600 or email info@wispro.org Our services are always available at no cost and our staff is always ready to provide technical assistance.
The goal of a business strategy is to help identify customers that have similar and recurring needs as well as determine what actions, skills, and resources a company will need to access and effectively compete in the market. Many companies have an interest or a goal of doing business with DoD, but they have not done adequate research to identify which of the 24 DoD agencies or the more that 1,000 contracting offices procure their product(s) and or service(s). This webinar will focus on the most common attributes used to identify and characterize procurements and help to answer the all-important questions – who is my customer? How do they buy? What is required to compete AND who are my competitors?

Speaker: Benjamin Blanc, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
This webinar is eligible for 1 CPE credit.
To view the full schedule of DoD Supplier Roadmap Series webinars, please click here.

Cyber Friday: Incident Identification, Reporting Requirements, and Recovery
2022-11-18 11:00 - 12:00 | WI
The Cyber Friday series will discuss the topic, “Incident Identification, Reporting Requirements, and Recovery” on Friday, November 18, at 11:00 AM. To register, please click here.
Both FAR 52.204-21 and DFARS 252.204-7012 require companies to report cyber incidents. In addition, DFARS 252.204-7012 requires companies to implement NIST 800-171 r2 and to formally investigate the incident, preserve forensic evidence, and be prepared to support additional information requires from DoD. Additionally, Section 3.6 of NIST 800-171 r2 requires companies to, “Establish an operational incident-handling capability for organizational systems that includes preparation, detection, analysis, containment, recovery, and user response activities.” This webinar will review these requirements, references, resources, and actions that companies can use to develop their plans.

Speaker: Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
For the full schedule of the Cyber Friday webinars, please click here.
This webinar is eligible for 1 CPE credit.

USDOT Connections MarketPlace: Teaming Talks Roundtable Sessions (Virtual)
2022-11-22 12:00 - 13:00 | WI
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) would like to invite you to their Connections MarketPlace webinar on Tuesday, November 22, 2022 from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM CDT. To register, click here.
During this Teaming Talks session you will be hearing about how to work with a large prime contractor, AECOM, as a teaming partner on opportunities within the federal government and USDOT. To read more about this event, please click here.

Acquisition Hour: The HUBZone Program - Certification Benefits and Regulations
2022-11-29 11:00 - 12:00 | WI
The next Acquisition Hour webinar on “The HUBZone Program – Certification Benefits and Regulations” will be held on November 29 at 11:00 AM. To register, please click here.
The Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program helps small businesses in designated urban and rural communities gain preferential access to federal procurement opportunities. This presentation is recommended for any business that is interested in becoming an SBA HUBZone certified business.
The HUBZone program qualifies your business to compete for the program’s set-aside contracts. HUBZone-certified businesses also get a 10% price evaluation preference in full and open contract competitions. A business must be certified by the U.S. SBA to qualify for this program, and must be registered in SAM prior to submission of the certification documentation. Indian reservations and other Indian Country locations automatically qualify as HUBZones.
Currently, many Federal agencies and Federal Prime contractors are NOT meeting their HUBZone goals. This could be a potential opportunity for your business.
In this webinar, you will learn:
· HUBZone certification requirements
· Benefits of and applying for an SBA HUBZone certification
· Terms and no-cost of HUBZone certification
· Process and no-cost renewal of your HUBZone certification
· Locating HUBZone opportunities
· Marketing your HUBZone certified business
· Changes to the HUBZone program

Speakers:
Shane Mahaffy, Lead Business Opportunity Specialist, US.Small Business Administration (SBA)
Ben Blanc, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
This webinar is eligible for 1 CPE credit.
View a schedule of all upcoming Acquisition Hour webinars.

2022 Veterans Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program
2022-11-30 12:00 - 15:00 | WI
The Office of Innovation Outreach USPTO is presenting the 2022 Veterans Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program on Wednesday, November 30, 2022 from 12:00PM – 3:00PM, CDT as a virtual event. To register, click here.
At this event, you’ll have the opportunity to hear from innovative veterans about their journeys towards successful entrepreneurship. You’ll also learn about critical resources available to entrepreneurs and inventors including training, counseling, and access to capital from representatives of entrepreneurial organizations such as the U.S. Small Business Administration, Bunker Labs, and the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at the University of Syracuse. To view a full agenda and the list of speakers at this event, please click here.

Cyber Friday: Designing and Using Security Exercises to Test and Improve Security Programs
2022-12-02 11:00 - 12:00 | WI
The fall Cyber Friday series will conclude with the topic, “Designing and Using Security Exercises to Test and Improve Security Programs” on Friday, December 2 at 11:00 AM. To register, please click here.
Cybersecurity plans are developed with the best of intentions, the utmost care, and are stored “on the shelf” ready to go. Are they functional and have they been developed in a manner to deal with typical cyber incidents and attacks? Planning and hoping for the best is one strategy – but not a very effective one. There are a variety of other strategies that will support a stronger program such as penetration testing, external phishing campaigns (ransomware and other), and even physical disruption to the network to trigger the incident response plan. These options, though, require contracting with specialized firms to perform a limited scope of work. Due to cost and scheduling limitations, they are often not practical.
Alternatively, a company can utilize internally developed and managed exercises to test their cyber incident response capabilities for any number of incidents. Exercises provide two important pieces of feedback. First, an exercise will provide valuable information on how well the company’s Incident Response plan functions and secondly, the exercise will test the staff’s knowledge of the plan and their duties within the plan.
This webinar will discuss the basic design of an exercise, available resources and related considerations.

Speaker: Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
For the full schedule of the Cyber Friday webinars, please click here.
This webinar is eligible for 1 CPE credit.

(NCMA) Government Contract Management Symposium
2022-12-05 - 2022-12-06 | WI
Save the date for the NCMA’s Government Contract Management Symposium being held on December 5 – 6, 2022 in Bethesda, MD.
This event will feature real-life stories from the field to illustrate how to apply key contracting skills; spotlight the effects of new policies, regs, and practices; demonstrate applicable techniques for building your career; and reveal ways practitioners are using innovative methods and technology.
Click here to visit the event page and to sign up to get notified when registration opens.

Marketplace: Governor's Annual Conference on Diverse Business Development
2022-12-06 07:00 - 19:00 | The Baird Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI, 53203
Online registration is now closed. On-site registration will be available for the Governor’s Annual Conference on Diverse Business Development being held December 6, 2022.
The event will be in person on December 6 at The Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, WI.
CLICK HERE to view the official Marketplace website.
Buyers confirmed to participate in One-on-One Meetings during Marketplace are listed here. Be sure to review this list again as additional buyers confirm participation in the conference.
State Government
State of Wisconsin Department of Administration
State of Wisconsin Department of Justice
Wisconsin Department of Children and Families
Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT)
Federal Government
National Park Service / Regional Major Acquisitions Buying Office
Local Government
City of Milwaukee
City of Racine
City of Wauwatosa
Kenosha County
Milwaukee County
Milwaukee County Office of Equity
Milwaukee County Zoo
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD)
Waukesha County
Corporate / Government Prime Contractor
American Family Insurance
Enbridge Energy
GE Healthcare
Gilbane Building Company
Hoffman Construction Company
JP Cullen
Leonardo DRS Naval Power Systems
Michels Corporation
Oshkosh Defense
Snap-on Incorporated
U.S. Bank
WPS Health Solutions
College / University
Marquette University
Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC)
University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
University of Wisconsin – Madison
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin – System Administration

The Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc. - Black & Diverse Business Showcase
2022-12-07 08:00 - 20:00 | The Baird Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI, 53203
The Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce presents the Black and Diverse Business Showcase on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 from 8 AM – 8 PM at The Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Click here to register and to read more.
The Showcase will feature a full day of programing, workshops, and networking opportunities. New and growing minority, woman, veteran, and LGBTQ+ owned businesses will learn how to prepare their businesses for the Government markets. The workshops will feature area government representatives and business professionals. In addition, the workshops will also feature resource providers on topics including accounting, finance, locating financing, certifications, compliance, sales/marketing, business management, and more.
For the full agenda, please click here.

The Contracting Academy (TCA) - Virtual
2022-12-07 09:00 - 12:00 | WI
Click here to register and attend The Contracting Academy.
TCA Sessions will take place virtually on December 7, 2022 between 9 AM and 12 NOON Central Time (the day after Marketplace Wisconsin). Sessions will focus on federal and federal prime contractor opportunities for diverse and small businesses.
This year’s sessions:
9:00 AM Central Time – FEDERAL AGENCY PANEL – The Federal Government spends over $600 billion annually on a wide range of goods and services. In the federal market, small and diverse firms have a competitive advantage – contracting goals are in place for small, disadvantaged (includes minority), woman, service-disabled veteran and HUBZone certified firms. During this session you will hear from federal agency representatives on what they buy, what they look for in a contractor, what opportunities are available and what they expect from their contractors.
Lisa Burns, USPFO, Wisconsin National Guard
Steven Maier, Small Business Liaison, Great Lakes Health Care System, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Michael Chiodi, MRP Small Business Coordinator – MRP AbilityOne Liaison/Contracting Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Elizabeth White, Procurement Analyst, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Moderated by Aina Vilumsons, President and Executive Director, Wisconsin Procurement Institute (WPI)
10:00 AM Central Time – FEDERAL PRIME CONTRACTOR PANEL – Large federal prime contractors with large federal contracts are obligated to work with small and diverse businesses. These contractors have what is known as a “small business subcontracting plan” which outlines their subcontracting plans and small business goals. During this session, federal prime contractors will share information about their firms and about their contracts, and how a small / diverse business could become their subcontractor.
Bill Deringer, Global Business Development Manager, Electric Power Generation (EPG) Caterpillar Defense – BIO
Sara Redford, Vice President of Procurement, WPS Health Solutions – BIO
Kevin Lovell, Director and Senior Program Manager, Xator Corporation – BIO
Michael Bond, Supplier Diversity, Snap-on Incorporated
Moderated by Aina Vilumsons, President and Executive Director, Wisconsin Procurement Institute (WPI)
11:00 AM Central Time – UNDERSTANDING TEAMING – PARTNERING – MENTORING – JOINT VENTURES – In Federal Government contracting, your competitor on today’s opportunity may be your partner on the next project. Successful federal contractors understand and leverage the competitive advantage that the various TEAMING methods and programs can bring. During this session you will learn about some of these federal programs, and how to bring teaming into your Federal Government market development and growth strategy.
Jean Marie Thiel, President, Belonger Corporation, Inc – BIO
Tim Connelly, Principal, Tim Connelly Law PLLC – BIO
Darryl “Shane” Mahaffy, Lead Business Opportunity Specialist, Wisconsin District Office, US SBA – BIO
Moderated by Aina Vilumsons, President and Executive Director, Wisconsin Procurement Institute (WPI)

DLA TKO: Doing Business with DLA
2022-12-13 13:00 - 14:00 | WI
A Defense Logistic Agency (DLA) Training, Knowledge, and Opportunities (TKO) seminar will be held December 13, 2022 from 1-2 PM CST. The topic will be, “Doing Business with DLA.” To register, please click here. From the drop down menu, please select “DLA Land and Maritime,” then select the TKO seminar(s) you would like to register for.
Virtual TKO Seminars and Webinars are collective and/or individual sessions that teach vendors how to start doing business with Defense Logistics Agency. Vendors learn how to find open solicitations, how to submit a quote through the DLA Internet Bid Board System (DIBBS), the procedures for viewing/downloading drawings, and many other topics. These courses are designed for dealers, distributors, and manufacturers, but NOT a company that provides “services.” All sessions are held virtually and free of charge.

DHS Small Business Vendor Outreach Sessions
2022-12-15 08:00 - 11:30 | WI
Each fiscal year (FY) the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), as part of the Small Business Outreach Program, conducts ten sessions of 15-minute pre-arranged virtual meetings with small businesses. This online session will take place on December 15, 2022 from 8:00AM – 11:15AM CDT and will focus on their regular vendor outreach session with small business specialists and prime contractors.
To register for any of these sessions you must first create a profile in the DHS electronic appointment scheduling system at this website. After creating your profile, please click here and scroll down to “Requesting a Vendor Outreach Session Meeting” for information on requesting your meeting.

Racine Unified School District Small Business Session #1
2022-12-15 15:00 - 16:30 | Racine Unified School District | Administrative Services Campus, 3109 Mount Pleasant St., Racine, WI, 53404, United States
Please use Building 2, Entrance A when attending. The Windpoint Conference Room is inside.
Racine Unified School District is undertaking $595 million in construction projects supported by a referendum passed in 2021. The school board has established goals associated with engaging small and diverse construction-related businesses in these projects. Targeted businesses are located in Racine, Kenosha, Walworth, Waukesha and Milwaukee Counties.
Why you should attend this event:

Get an overview of the upcoming RUSD opportunities
Learn how to participate
Hear from representatives of the Wisconsin Procurement Institute (WPI) how to become certified and access other resources for small and diverse businesses

Protect Your Intellectual Property with these Steps: Boot Camp
2022-12-20 09:00 - 15:00 | WI
Join hundreds of people and learn about the resources available to you to protect your Intellectual Property and help secure your small business. The event includes an unclassified, Small Business Cyber Threat Briefing. Hear from NAVY leaders about the imperative for small businesses to protect their data and networks, as well as protecting sensitive DOD data. Also, learn all about NAVY Blue Cyber initiative for small business cybersecurity.
Join for six, information-packed hours of specialists describing the resources available for U.S. small businesses, including those who are already or are considering doing business with the DoD. The event includes an unclassified, Small Business Cyber Threat Briefing.

15th Annual Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering & Technology Symposium and Advanced Program Briefing for Industry
2022-12-29 08:00 - 17:00 | Novi Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave., Novi, MI, 48374, United States
The National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), Michigan Chapter is hosting the 15th Annual Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering & Technology Symposium and Advanced Program Briefing for Industry (GVSETS & APBI) to provide the opportunity to personally network and share technical research to approximately 1,800 attendees.
Scientists and engineers from government, academia and industry are invited to submit papers for the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Michigan Chapter’s 15th Annual GVSETS & APBI, in coordination with The Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD). The focus of the 2023 Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering Technology Symposium (GVSETS) is partnering with industry, government, and academia to meet the Army’s transformational needs.

March 13, 2023 – Draft Paper submission deadline *
May 4, 2023 – Notification of acceptance
June 17, 2023 – Final paper submission *
August 1, 2023 – Final presentation submission *
August 15, 2023 – Paper Presentation

*This timetable does not include time for OPSEC review which is required by all government authored/funded papers. Please allow two weeks for OPSEC process prior to submission dates.
To read more and to submit a paper, click here.

Racine Unified School District Small Business Session #2
2023-01-05 15:00 - 16:30 | Racine Unified School District | Administrative Services Campus, 3109 Mount Pleasant St., Racine, WI, 53404, United States
Onsite Registration Availabile!
Racine Unified School District is undertaking $595 million in construction projects supported by a referendum passed in 2021. The school board has established goals associated with engaging small and diverse construction-related businesses in these projects. Targeted businesses are located in Racine, Kenosha, Walworth, Waukesha and Milwaukee Counties.
Why you should attend this event:

Get an overview of the upcoming RUSD opportunities
Learn how to participate
Hear from representatives of the Wisconsin Procurement Institute (WPI) how to become certified and access other resources for small and diverse businesses

The meeting will be held in the MyGatts Conference Room, located through Door A of Building 1 at the Administrative Services Campus for RUSD. In addition to visitor parking, there is an overflow parking lot available. To view a map of parking options, click here.

Virtual Training, Knowledge, and Opportunities (TKO) Seminar
2023-01-10 08:00 - 2023-01-11 13:30 | WI
This Training, Knowledge, and Opportunities (TKO) seminar will be held virtually January 10 – 11, 2023 from 8AM – 1:30PM CDT.
Virtual TKO Seminars and Webinars are collective and/or individual sessions that teach vendors how to START doing business with Defense Logistics Agency. Vendors learn how to find open solicitations, how to submit a quote through the DLA Internet Bid Board System (DIBBS), and the procedures for viewing/downloading drawings. There will also be many other relevant topics of discussion. These courses are designed for dealers, distributors, and manufacturers, but NOT a company that provides “services.”
To register for this event go to https://tko.dla.mil, select “DLA Land and Maritime,” select the correct webinar date, fill out the registration form, and additional information will be provided to you.
