Session Descriptions
I Want To Get Certified!
Presenter: MDOT Office of Small & Minority Business Policy and MDOT Office of Minority Business Enterprise Staff
MDOT’s Office of Small and Minority Business Policy (OSMBP) will take an in-depth look at how to obtain certification for the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE), and Small Business Enterprise (SBE) programs. The workshop will address eligibility standards and take you step-by-step through the certification application process. After the workshop, MDOT MBE Certification Officers will be on-site to answer any specific questions attendees may have about getting their company certified.
Maintaining & Expanding Your MDOT Certifications
Presenter: MDOT Office of Small & Minority Business Policy and MDOT Office of Minority Business Enterprise Staff
To maintain MDOT certifications, certified firms are required to complete an Annual Review. This workshop will cover the legal requirements for the Annual Review, examine the steps for completing the process and how to navigate through the MBE directory. Attendees will view a step-by-step simulation of the Annual Review process while discussing how to expand the areas of work and NAICS codes for their firm’s certification profile. After the workshop, MDOT MBE Certification Officers will be available on-site to answer any specific questions attendees may have about Annual Review, Expansion of Services, adding references to their company profile, and navigating the MBE Directory.
Leveraging Your Certification in the State Contracting Arena
Presenter: Alison Tavik, Governor’s Office for Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs
How are you leveraging your MBE, SBR, and/or VSBE certifications in the state-contracting arena? This session will identify tools, techniques, and strategies for proactively leveraging your certification(s) when competing as a prime contractor or subcontractor.
Getting Started with eMMA
Presenter: Dr. Victoria Steeger and Sini Jacob
The eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) is the electronic Procurement Platform that all state entities use for posting solicitations and awarding contracts. In this session, we will do a brief review of registration for new vendors, and will then spend the majority of the session looking at key elements in the vendor profile that vendors often neglect which are critical to being successful in utilizing eMMA for finding, successfully responding to, and obtaining contracts with all state organizations.
Increasing Market Intelligence with eMMA
Presenter: Dr. Victoria Steeger and Sini Jacob
The eMMA platform is a tremendous resource for gaining Market Intelligence for a competitive edge. This session will cover using eMMA to identify different kinds of business opportunities; to conduct market research; to develop new marketing strategies; to increase visibility potential business partners for prime and subcontracting opportunities; and to conduct competitor research.
eMMA (eMaryland Marketplace Advantage) Q&A Session
Join the eMMA team as they review best practices for using the eMMA e-procurement tool and answer your questions.
Funding Resources
Presenter: Randy Croxton, Meridian Management Group
This workshop provides a discussion about different funding products and programs available through government and private organizations. Attendees will learn about the availability of the different programs, the differences in financing products, and when/how to pursue each.
How to Be A Great Subcontractor
Presenter: Michael Schneider, Wolf Den Associates
Small business opportunities for government subcontracting can be vast and often overwhelming. This session will provide you with an actionable framework for subcontracting success. Learn how Primes think and how to bring your “A” game to your next subcontracting opportunity. The session will focus on how to find subcontracting opportunities that fit your company, what to do when you find one, and how to run your business to be a subcontractor of choice. Attention will be placed on understanding the prime/sub relationship and what prime contractors look for in ideal subcontractors. We will explore methods to separate your business from the competition, key operational areas to consider, how to approach the marketplace, and how to address key subcontractor risks.
Finding Your Workforce in a Post-Pandemic Environment
Presenter: Syretta Gross, Small Business Program Manager, Federal Health and SLHE | Government Public Service (GPS) Small Business + GPS Supplier Diversity Programs, Deloitte; Natesh Veda, Senior Manager, Deloitte Consulting
Small businesses have two basic needs: finding work and a qualified workforce. How to keep your workforce happy? How to partner with large prime contractors? Join this session to learn about both needs. Ranked #17 on Fortune’s Best Companies to Work, we will discuss Deloitte’s best practices for maintaining employees. We will also discuss how small businesses can work with Deloitte as a subcontractor.
Be on the Road to Excellence: Build & Convert MORE Contracting Opportunities
Presenter: Russell Teter, Small Business Development Center at University of Maryland
Identify and avoid contracting “Blind Spots” as you find opportunities for Agencies that are spending money in the post-pandemic economy. Learn to prepare proposals/bids that allow you to “stand out” from the crowd. Don’t be left behind as we move forward.
Lunch Panel
Presenter: Special Secretary Maria Martinez, Governor’s Office for Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs; Kisha A. Brown, Esq., Founder and CEO, Justis Connection; Louis “Lou” Hutt, CEO and Founder, The Hutt Company; Melanie Reeder, Vice President, Commercial Relationship Manager, Fulton Bank
Every business needs a team of resources to help keep the business on track and thriving. The team is not complete without legal, banking, and accounting advisors. Hear from these advisors about why their areas of expertise are critical to the survival of your business now more than ever. Time has been allotted for Q&A following the panel presentations.
Doing Green Business with Maryland
Presenter: Emily Soontornsaratool, DGS Office of Energy & Sustainability
As climate change continues to be a growing threat, the State of Maryland is actively pursuing a comprehensive strategy to reduce its climate impacts. One significant aspect of this endeavor is the Maryland Green Purchasing Committee (GPC) which was established by the Green Maryland Act of 2010. The GPC administers an environmentally preferable purchasing program for the State of Maryland. This session will equip you with the tools and resources to help reduce your business’ carbon footprint; protect our natural resources; prevent air, water, and soil pollution; and support the state’s public health plan.
Talk with the Procurement Professionals
Presenter: Procurement Professionals
Looking for someone to talk to about what state contracting is on the horizon and how to access it? This session is the perfect place to get your questions answered. Learn about the procurement tools necessary to join the growing number of state contractors and subcontractors. Learn the lingo, the best practices, who the movers and shakers are and gain their contact information. This is a not-to-be-missed session. Bring your questions from the information that you have gained throughout the day and learn how to put it to work for you.
Electric Vehicles & Infrastructure For A Greener Maryland
Presenter: R. Earl Lewis, Director, Zero Emissions, MDOT Maryland Transit Administration; Emily Soontornsaratool, DGS Office of Energy & Sustainability; Dan Janousek, Office of Planning and Capital Programming, MDOT
In 2022, under the Climate Solutions Now Act (CSNA), Maryland set the most aggressive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals in the nation. Targets have been established to achieve GHG emissions reductions of 60% below 2006 levels by 2031, and net-zero emissions by 2045. To achieve this goal and targets, Maryland agencies are dedicated to accelerating the adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs), and the installation of corridor and community charging infrastructure. The equitable decarbonization and electrification of the transportation sector remain top priorities in Maryland and are critical to meeting the state’s GHG reduction goals. The result will be a greener Maryland with new job and business opportunities for all Marylanders. The State of Maryland is committed to taking action to make Maryland’s transportation infrastructure greener by investing in EV Infrastructure to support both light duty as well as medium and heavy-duty vehicles in the state’s fleet. This panel will share information on initiatives moving forward at DGS, MTA and the MDOT Secretary’s Office to support this important goal which also helps address some aspects of Maryland’s climate change initiatives.
Public Data Mining Strategies
Presenter: Alison Tavik, Governor’s Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs
There is a wealth of public information available to help you navigate the state’s contracting arena, you just have to know where to look. Regardless of how you want to perform – prime contractor, subcontractor, or both – you can uncover patterns and correlations that apply specifically to your business. This session highlights pipelines and strategies to identify new opportunities, predict trends, and target new relationships.
Access to Capital
Presenter: Debra Brown, U.S. Small Business Administration, Baltimore District Office
Whether you are already in the government contracting arena or looking to expand your business by selling to the government, this session is for you. Learn the resources available, who is eligible, and how to apply.
DGS Business Opportunity Session Descriptions
DGS Construction and Architectural & Engineering Contracting
Join project managers and procurement officers as they discuss capital construction and architectural & engineering contracting opportunities. Learn about the types of contracts awarded, the requirements to working with the state, and how your company can get involved. Receive information on upcoming contracting opportunities.
DGS Commodities and Facilities Maintenance
Join procurement officers as they discuss the variety of goods and building services the Office of State Procurement procures on behalf of agencies across the state. Learn about the contracting methods utilized to procure these goods and the requirements for becoming a contractor.
DGS Information Technology & Professional Services Contracting
The Office of State Procurement oversees statewide contracting for information technology products and services and professional services contracts. In this session, procurement officers will discuss the types of opportunities available and the contracting methods used to procure these products and services.
DGS Small Procurement Opportunities
Presenter: DGS Buyers
Join DGS buyers as they discuss some of the small procurement opportunities Department of General Services offers to support their operations.