MBDA allocated nearly $1 million to increase contracting opportunities through ARRA

MBDA allocated roughly $1 million to seven minority business centers last month. The Minority Business Centers located in cities in Mesa, AZ; Bismarck, ND; New Orleans, LA; Durham, NC; San Jose, CA; Detroit, MI; and Philadelphia, PA received the funding to increase minority business contracting opportunities in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The Minority Business Centers in these cities will assist in “minority-owned firms playing a significant role in the nation’s economic growth,” says MBDA National Director David Hinson.  MBDA kicked off the ARRA Initiative last month with events in Charlotte, NC; Philadelphia, PA and New Orleans, LA.

Each event brought local government, minority entrepreneurs and business owners as well as staff from MBDA together to highlight business successes as well as to discuss how better to work together to ensure minority business participation in ARRA contracting opportunities.

Each Minority Business Center will hire at least one business development specialist who will focus on ensuring minority businesses have access to federal, state and local contracting opportunities.

According to MBDA, the first steps  minority business should make in order to take advantage of ARRA opportunities include:

• Registering in the Central Contracting Registry (CCR) www.ccr.gov.
• Visiting local MBDA minority business centers and registering in the Phoenix Opportunity Database at www.mbda.gov.
• Making contacts, building relationships and forming strategic alliances. Some contracts may be large or bundled, but by building strategic partnerships with other companies, smaller businesses can still be part of the work.

Along with adding business development specialists in strategic markets, MBDA will hold or participate in hundreds of ARRA related events to share information on government contracting opportunities at the federal, state and local levels.

Also, minority business owners can find out more about ARRA-related events that will be held to share information about contracting opportunities by visiting www.fedbizopps.gov or www.recovery.gov.  Minority business owners should visit www.mbda.gov for more information.