IT Forum gives small business access to government agencies and contractors

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The Fort Meade Alliance partnered with the Maryland Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs to offer unprecedented access to top Fort George G. Meade tenants and government contractors at the sold-out Fort Meade Regional Minority and Small Business Government Contracting IT Forum on May 27, 2010.

The Fort Meade government agencies and defense contracting community is positioned for significant post-BRAC and cyber-related growth, which offers new business opportunities for minority-owned and small businesses. Maryland has nearly 250,000 minority and women-owned businesses. 

“As more and more jobs are created because of BRAC and the creation of the national Cyber Command, we will continue to work closely with the Fort Meade Alliance, the public sector and our partners in local government to ensure that the physical infrastructure and human capital is in place so we can fulfill the responsibility we’ve been entrusted with,” said Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown, chair of the Governor’s BRAC Subcabinet. “I commend the Alliance for their continued good work to connect Marylanders with jobs and educate small and minority businesses about the contracting and procurement opportunities that are being created in our community.”

The forum gave more than 250 representatives from minority and small business firms focused on delivering information technology services and products the opportunity to learn more about how to do business with top federal agencies in the Fort Meade area and how to partner with prime contractors on potential bidding opportunities.

“The Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs was pleased to partner with the Fort Meade Alliance on this very important economic development outreach strategy to assist Maryland’s small and minority firms with gaining access to opportunities with DoD contractors and federal buyers,” said Luwanda W. Jenkins, Special Secretary for the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs. “This partnership further exemplifies the O’Malley-Brown Administration’s commitment to promoting efforts that will ultimately create jobs and strengthen Maryland’s economy.”

Throughout the morning, participants heard first hand from Fort George G. Meade’s significant federal government tenants — the National Security Agency and Defense Information Systems Agency. They also heard from top prime contractors Axom Technologies, Lockheed Martin Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp. and Science Applications International Corp. on the qualifications they are looking for in potential team members and/or partners, as well as the opportunities available.

And in a unique offering, attendees networked with government and industry exhibitors that included NSA, DISA, Axom technologies, Booz Allen Hamilton, CACI, Lockheed Martin Corp., L-3 Communications, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, Proteus Technologies, Raytheon, Science Applications International Corporation and TeleCommunication Systems Inc.

Photos by John Keith.

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