Laboratory sponsors Northern New Mexico Federal Procurement Day

The Laboratory is partnering with several agencies to improve procurement opportunities for small regional businesses by sponsoring Northern New Mexico Federal Procurement Day, or "Fed Day," June 4 at San Juan Pueblo.

The city of Española; Northern New Mexico Supplier Alliance, a trade group of more than 400 small businesses in Northern New Mexico; and Regional Development Corp. are cosponsoring Fed Day, which is from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in the Convention Center Dome at San Juan Pueblo just north of Española on NM 68.

"The event is designed to attract regional, small businesses that have goods or services to offer, not only to Los Alamos but also to other federal government agencies," explained Tim Martinez of the Community Relations (CRO) Office. "This is an opportunity for those agencies to meet small business owners and learn about the many services they can provide," said Martinez, adding that the federal Small Business Administration is assisting in the event.

"This is all about featuring regional small businesses. We're always looking for growth opportunities for small businesses here at the Laboratory," said Martinez.

Event organizers will hold "matchmaker sessions" to introduce small businesses to Laboratory organizations and other federal government agencies. "We have small businesses that do work for the Laboratory that certainly could do work for other federal agencies," said Martinez.

The Northern New Mexico Supplier Alliance has taken the lead in putting the event together. The alliance has been assisted by the Los Alamos and Santa Fe County chambers of commerce, Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corp., the Laboratory and the Small Business Administration.

Representatives from about two dozen federal agencies are expected to attend Fed Day, according to Martinez. They will have information booths to network with the 150 small-business owners and operators expected to attend.

Martinez noted that federal agencies are particularly interested in providing procurement opportunities to minority, women-owned, 8a and Historically Underutilized Business, or HUB-zone certified businesses. "This is the perfect opportunity to come into an area rich in HUB-zone certified businesses that have a service or product to offer," said Martinez, noting that are about 50 small businesses in Northern New Mexico that are HUB-zone certified.

The SBA's 8a program was created to help small, disadvantaged businesses compete in the American economy and access federal procurement opportunities.

Federal agencies that have committed to attending Fed Day, in addition to Los Alamos, include Sandia National Laboratories, the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration, Kirtland Air Force Base, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the General Services Administration.

Joseph Montes, Region 6 administrator of the SBA, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the event.

More information about Northern New Mexico Federal Procurement Day, go to http://www.nnmsa.org/fedday.asp?PN=FedDay online or contact Martinez at 7-2390.

Networking meeting for CGRP contractors June 4 at San Juan Pueblo

The Laboratory is hosting a meeting June 4 to introduce to various federal agencies businesses who did work for Los Alamos' Cerro Grande Rehabilitation Project.

The networking meeting is at 12:30 p.m., in the Convention Center Dome at San Juan Pueblo north of Española on NM 68. Representatives from federal agencies are scheduled to attend the meeting and meet with CGRP contractors transitioning out of work they performed for the Laboratory.

Following the Cerro Grande Fire in May 2000, the Laboratory created the Cerro Grande Rehabilitation Project Office (FWO-CGRP) to rehabilitate more than 10,000 acres of Lab property affected by the fire, explained Carlos Chacon of Los Alamos' Small Business Project (BUS-SBO) Office, which is sponsoring the meeting. The Laboratory received $342 million from Congress for fire mitigation and rehabilitation efforts.

"As one of the Laboratory's major projects, the CGRP has made a significant impact, not only with the contracts placed in the local areas, but in [enhancing] relationships with some of New Mexico's own pueblos," said Chacon. "The Laboratory was beneficial in providing assistance to them in growing their own businesses."

Chacon said the Cerro Grande Rehabilitation Project Office generated more than 160 jobs in Northern New Mexico; 107 of these jobs were created between the 2001 and 2002 fiscal years with companies such as Clauss Construction, Tsay Corp., Cochiti Pueblo, Jemez Pueblo, Santa Clara Pueblo and others.

For more information, contact Chacon 5-4284 or write to sbo@lanl.gov by electronic mail.

-- Steve Sandoval

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