WASHINGTON--The U.S. Small Business Administration will host its Mentor-Protégé Conference on November 12-13 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Arlington, Va. The conference will give small businesses access to guidance on federal contracting, face-to-face meetings and opportunities to team with larger businesses and graduates of the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development program.

“It’s important that we make sure that more federal contracts get into the hands of small businesses that drive the nation’s economy and create jobs. These forums will go a long way in making sure that small businesses know how to leverage their companies and team up with viable partners to take their businesses to the next level,” said Dr. Donna Peebles, SBA Associate Administrator for Business Development.

Some of the topics small businesses will learn about during these forums include: how to submit a winning joint venture proposal, how to build a strong Mentor-Protégé partnership, size and affiliation rules for joint ventures and how to market themselves to the federal government and pursue government contracting opportunities.

The forums will also feature a discussion of strategic alliance and joint venture opportunities, a question and answer session, and face-to-face and business matchmaking sessions. Small disadvantaged businesses and 8(a) firms interested in attending must register at https://www.sbampp2019.com/en/c6ff. Over 300 businesses are expected to be in attendance.

Attendees will also get an overview of the SBA’s Mentor-Protégé program – a tool of the SBA’s business development program that encourages mentors to team with a protégé or smaller firm to help them with management and technical assistance, financial assistance and access to joint ventures and federal contracting opportunities.

For more information about the SBA’s Mentor-Protégé program, visit: https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/all-small-mentor-protege-program and to register and learn more about the Mentor-Protégé Matchmaking Conference, visit: https://www.sbampp2019.com/en/c6ff

About SBA’s Office of Management and Technical Assistance

The SBA’s Office of Management and Technical Assistance is authorized by the Small Business Act to provide high-quality assistance to eligible small businesses. The program’s assistance encompasses a wide spectrum of business courses such as accounting, marketing, strategic and operational planning, financial analysis, business development, contract management, compliance and various business-related software applications. The courses offered vary and are aligned based upon the needs of the local business community and marketplace. A key goal of the program is to help firms successfully compete for federal, state and local contracting opportunities as a prime contractor or subcontractor. This free training is provided by SBA through its nationwide network of resource partners and vendors. To learn more about the program or to sign up for training, please contact your local SBA district office.

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start and grow their businesses. It delivers services to people through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.