PTAC offices offer help to Government Contractors

Recently we have been working with the Colorado PTAC office to help identify ways to help the government contractor community.  We have also heard recently through the grapevine that the DCAA will be working with the PTAC organizations nation-wide to try and educate more organizations about the DCAA, its purpose and function.  I thought it would also be worthwhile to write a blog about this organization to help people understand what they provide.  The Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (or PTAC's) primarily to help all government contractors across the country.  I thought a brief overview of the organization might be helpful.

The Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP) was created in 1984 by the DoD and authorized by an act of Congress in 1985 in an effort to expand the number of companies doing business with the Federal Government.  The program is set-up under the Defense Department and is administered by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).  Normally the DLA provides some guidance and funding for the PTACs and they also receive matching funds from state and local governments as well as other non-profit organizations.  Usually the DLA provides over 50% of the funding for the PTAC offices.  There are currently over 300 PTAC offices in a nationwide network.  The Colorado PTAC office was opened in 2009 and was one of the last states to open a PTAC office. The Colorado PTAC has grown in the last 4 years to have around 3,000 clients and compa ies that they help.   The Colorado office has a staff of 8 councelors & staff and last year conducted over 5,000 counseling sessions and conducted To say the least, this office has been wildly successful.

The PTAC is an excellent resource for small businesses that wish to contract with the Federal Government.  All PTAC offices are staffed with counselors that are experienced in government contracting.  While the counselors have in-depth knowledge, the goal normally is to give high level guidance to companies on lots of different topics.  If the government contractor needs more in-depth help, it usually must go to a consultant or specialist.  The PTAC office can help direct companies needing this type of help as they are experienced and can recognize then the company needs more in-depth help.  In addition, the PTAC offices usually offer many training sessions, seminars, overviews and individual counseling.  They can be excellent sources for helping companies identify bid opportunities, contract specifications, procurement histories and other information necessary to compete successfully for a government award.  

I encourage you to look up your local PTAC and see what they have to offer, if you haven't already done that.  If you need more in-depth help, give me a call.