PTAC Quarterly Overview (March 2021)
Contract Awards by Federal Agencies Granted This Quarter: $15,432,156.00
Number of Awards Received by Active Clients That are Small Businesses: 99
The Tennessee PTAC began its new program year starting March 1 and reached all goals for the month. Even with meeting the goals, this was tagged as a planning month for the TN PTAC staff with several major activities coming up in April, May, June and July. This includes the conference planning for TN PTAC’s second Doing Business with the Government for Manufacturers Conference scheduled for April 20 - geared toward reaching manufacturing companies that want to diversify markets by doing business with DOD. Two large DOD prime Contractors – General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin – will be participating as speakers. This also would help TN PTAC meet its goal of increasing client activity with manufacturing companies.
In addition, TN PTAC is planning for another SBIR/STTR Conference in May focused on training small business R&D firms with forming partnerships with Universities and Federal Laboratories.
The Tennessee PTAC continued its goal of having at least one PTAC “Government Contracting 101” training event in each Region of the State (East, Middle, and West) per month. TN PTAC develops these courses in co-sponsorship with regional organizations – Small Business Development Centers and other stakeholders who assist with advertising the events.
TN PTAC was aggressive in fulfilling its professional development goals for the organization with four counselors attending the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC) Conference. In addition, during the month PTAC counselors attended DLA sponsored trainings.
TN PTAC researched other PTAC websites throughout the country to develop a list of improvement ideas for the website. The TN PTAC initial improvements included making it easier for website observers to find their PTAC counselor by region and to locate the current training schedule.
Significant Developments
TN PTAC has aggressively increased the amount of training and conferences provided virtually. The amount of training provided monthly doubled compared with previous fiscal years. This has tremendously expanded the popularity of the program. Initial client contact for the month reached 39 companies.
Noteworthy Client Successes
ARCS Aviation is one of eleven companies awarded a Phase II prototype project from the Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office (RSO) 2020 Virtual Pitch Day! The company will assist US Air Force in reducing aircraft maintenance downtime and advancing the Air Force’s operations and sustainment to increase overall mission readiness. Alotaibi remarked about how thankful he was that the PTAC office that was there to help guide him through both the government contracting and SBIR processes. “With the help we received from Russell under Paul’s leadership, we were able to be successful.”