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Small Biz Bulletin - August 2022
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Message from Special Secretary Rhee
Much of my professional career lies within the energy industry and I was fortunate to have met and worked with a man who became both a mentor and hero to me -- Harold Williams. He was an experienced and trusted advisor and I admired his noble qualities and outstanding achievements. He passed away recently, and I miss him already. Harold spent nearly two decades with the Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) Company. During his tenure, he initiated many innovative changes in his role as Director of Corporate Procurement Services and was responsible for propelling BGE's Procurement Opportunity Program (POP), which engages minority and women-owned businesses, to national recognition. He then gave over 10 years of service to the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC). While the PSC is best known for its role in setting utility rates, it also has a strong supplier diversity program, which Harold championed right from its inception. Today, 20 regulated entities work strategically toward awarding 25% of their spend with diverse suppliers. In FY2021, they surpassed the goal, reaching 33.5%. Without a doubt, Harold played a major role in influencing this success. He received numerous awards at the national and local level for the impact and contributions he made to the business arena. Harold was a champion who walked his talk with such passion and conviction that he was instrumental in opening doors to opportunities for the minority business community as well as opening minds to the importance of diversity and inclusion. I hope to honor him by following in his footsteps with my own actions and deeds. I also hope you have someone in your professional life who has impacted you in a similar way.
Jimmy Rhee
Special Secretary
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For Your Information
FY2023 Procurement Forecast
Small business owners are always looking for trusted information that can help them make informed business decisions and feed the pipeline. Maryland's Procurement Forecast is that kind of a tool. The database, which is published on the Governor's Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs website, is populated with solicitations of $100,000 or greater that are expected to be advertised or awarded through June 30, 2022. It comprises both new and recurring items, including task orders issued under master contracts. Users can choose from six different options to focus their search. By downloading search results to Excel, expanded information is provided, such as the buyer’s name and contact information. Small businesses are often looking for contracting opportunities below $100,000. As a result, many state agencies also include information on projected contracts between $15,000 and $99,999. Access to this vital information reinforces the open and transparent nature of Maryland's public contracting arena. You can even watch a video and download a slide deck to help you mine this powerful tool.
FY2023 Procurement Forecast Portal
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Small Business Training Webinars
Registration is now open for the August session of our Technical Training Classroom webinar series. We offer two great sessions each month on a variety of topics specifically curated for small, minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses that want to perform in the state contracting arena. The classes are free, you just need to register in advance to receive the participation link.
If you missed last month's classes, you can download the accompanying slide decks by visiting the the Technical Training Classroom page of our website.
Technical Training Classroom
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Specialized Vendor Training to Navigate eMMA
If you want to perform as a subcontractor or prime contractor in the state contracting arena, eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) is a critical tool. Invest some time in learning to navigate this platform and best utilize its full scope of features, tools, and functionality. The Maryland Procurement Training Academy is offering three vendor training sessions in August. All are free to attend.
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Join our Social Media Community
We continually share information curated specifically for small, minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses on our social media platforms. We'll inspire you with our #MotivationMonday series and connect you to a broad range of small business resource organizations. We also share information about loan programs and funding opportunities as well as small business events and training programs. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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