Arkansas APEX Accelerator offers workshop on small business certifications

LITTLE ROCK — Earning small business certifications is one way business owners in Arkansas can improve their chances of securing government contracts.
The Arkansas APEX Accelerator will host a free workshop on “Small Business Certifications: Increasing Your Opportunity for Success in Government Contracting” on Jan. 22 from Noon-1:30 p.m. at The Generator, 435 S. Main St., Pine Bluff.
“Small business certifications do not guarantee the awarding of government contracts, but they do increase the possibility of being awarded one,” said Tim Hicks, procurement counselor with Arkansas APEX Accelerator. “Participants will learn about federal and state certification processes, and they’ll learn about tools they can use to benefit their overall success rate in doing business with the government.”
Hicks will lead the training and be available by appointment to meet with small business owners before and after the training. Office hours are 9 a.m.-3 p.m. To schedule an appointment, contact Hicks at thicks@uada.edu.

Other resource partners will be present at the training, including representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration-Arkansas District, Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and Arkansas Department of Transportation.
The Arkansas APEX Accelerator is part of the Community, Professional and Economic Development department of the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, whose mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices
The Arkansas APEX Accelerator offers year-round trainings and counseling to help business owners secure government contracts. The Arkansas APEX Accelerator is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense. It has offices at the Cooperative Extension Service state office in Little Rock and satellite offices at NorthWest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville and at Arkansas State University’s Delta Center for Economic Development in Jonesboro.