The District of Columbia Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP) will host a series of free procurement roundtable and workshop discussions for local businesses interested in doing business with the Government of the District of Columbia. 

The 2008 Procurement Awareness Series will feature contracting officers and procurement staff for various District agencies.  The focus is to create an ongoing forum for local businesses to gather, exchange information and find solutions for challenges in our procurement process. 

Participants will learn about upcoming procurement opportunities and elements of the procurement process as well as the process for applying for the DC Supply Schedule.  Attendees will have an opportunity to speak one-on-one with key contracting staff responsible for agency and commodity group buying throughout the District.  The 2008 Procurement Awareness Series represents a joint collaboration between OCP, Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD), and the Washington DC Small Business Development Center at Center for Urban Process (DC SBDC). 

The workshop and roundtable topics and dates are as follows: 

Roundtable Series                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Featuring the Department of Transportation (Roads, Highways, and Structures)
Jerry Carter, Contracting Officer, DC Department of Transportation (DDOT)
Wednesday, January 23 (Register by January 17)

Featuring the University of the District of Columbia (UDC)
Maryann Harris, MPA, Acting Agency Chief Procurement Officer, UDC 
Wednesday, February 27 (Register by February 20)

Featuring the Department of Human Resources, Office of Contracting and Procurement,
Department of Small and Local Business Development, Office of Cable Television,
Office of Human Rights, Office of Motion Pictures, and more.
Gena Johnson, Contracting Officer, Office of Contracting and Procurement 
Wednesday, March 26 (Register by March 19)

Workshop Series    
Preparing Your Proposal: Pre-proposal Research; Tips for Business Development; and
Preparing Request For Proposals (RFPs)
Carl Dickson, President, Capture Planning
Tuesday, January 15 (Register by January 10)

The Mindset of a Great Salesman: How to Avoid Common Mistakes; Packaging Your
Product or Service; Building Trust with Clients; and Tips to Increase Sales
Che Brown, President, Partners in Learning 
Tuesday, February 19 (Register by February 13)

What’s In A Contract and Why?  The Basics of Business Contracts; Subcontractor
Agreements and much more…    
Nancy Hapeman, General Counsel, Office of Contracting and Procurement
Tuesday, March 18 (Register by March 12)

Roundtables and workshops are held from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm at 441 4th St., NW 11th Floor South.  Those interested in registering or receiving additional information should contact Evelyn Ross at (202) 727-0252 or evelyn.ross@dc.gov.

OCP RoundtableRegistration Form*