PTAC Collaborates with UT Ag Extension to Provide COVID-19 Relief for Farmers

The Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) at the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services (CIS) recently collaborated with the UT Extension Institute of Agriculture Center for Profitable Agriculture to provide training for farmers and the food production supply chain operations who may go after federal grant opportunities. The training was held on September 27th, 2021.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is distributing funds through its Pandemic Response and Safety Grant Program to small-scale specialty crop producers and processors, meat processors and distributors and farmers markets.

The funding is intended to help recipients respond to and protect workers against COVID–19. The grant program also provides funds for purchasing and distributing food and agricultural products to individuals in need.

“The UT CIS PTAC team is excited about our partnership with the UT Agricultural Center," says Paul Middlebrooks, PTAC Program Manager. "This collaboration is a great example of different entities within the University of Tennessee system working together across the state to help Tennesseans."

The entire PTAC staff was involved in offering a webinar providing information to the UT Extension’s customers about obtaining a DUNS number and registration in the System for Award Management (SAM).

A DUNS number is the identifier for companies registered with Dun & Bradstreet. D&B is a business specializing in credit and financial reports on registered companies.

Registration with SAM provides government contractors with a company profile and required banking information so that they can be paid electronically. It also includes a mandatory compilation of standard contract certifications and terms & conditions that are required in almost all federal contracts.

Both a DUNS number and SAM registration are prerequisites for the USDA grant application.


To learn more about registering in federal databases, click HERE

Tags Government Contracting