Austin Encourages Small Businesses To Participate In City Solicitations For Contracts

The City of Austin is attempting to increase the number of small businesses that participate in City solicitations for contracts under $50,000 in the hopes that more will be awarded City contracts.

The City’s Purchasing Office, which is responsible for managing the procurement of all goods and services for the City, contracts with hundreds of businesses each year for smaller contracts of $50,000 or less. Such contracts may cover electrical services, training, consulting, safety equipment, landscaping and technology.

At this time only a small percentage of contracts are awarded to small businesses. As a first step, the City would like to increase the overall number of small businesses participating in City solicitations.

The Purchasing Office is hosting a free event later this month to provide advice, information and encouragement to help small business owners better identify opportunities to do business with the City, and hopefully to be more successful when bidding on City contracts.

The Small Business Contracting Forum, on Tuesday, March 26, 2019, is specifically targeted at helping entrepreneurs learn how to become successful small business vendors for City purchases under $50,000.

Small Business Contracting Forum

• Tuesday, March 26, 2019
• 2 PM to 4:30 PM
• Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Road, Austin, 78754.

“It is our hope that by re-focusing our business outreach efforts, more City contracts under $50,000 will be awarded to small businesses, many of which are locally owned,” said James Scarboro, Purchasing Officer for the City of Austin. “It is our further hope that over time these small businesses will become better equipped to compete for and win bigger City contracts.

“If a small business owner has never entered into a contract with the City of Austin before, or if they’re not sure where to start, then this event is for them.”

The Small Business Contracting Forum will be attended by representatives from various City of Austin Departments and Offices including Austin Energy, Austin Water, Austin Resource Recovery and Austin Public Health.

Information will be available about various procurement opportunities and staff will be on hand to assist attendees register as vendors and to help them find the appropriate commodities codes for their businesses.

To REGISTER for the event go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/small-business-contracting-forum-registration-57142102567. For more INFORMATION contact Todd.Czaplicki@austintexas.gov.