VPC’s President, Deepa Srinivasan was pleased to be one of 250 business owners to attend the HUD Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Outreach Session at HUD’s Headquarters in Washington DC on 14 March 2018. “We gained some good insights on how to stay in the game and remain successful in federal contracting”, said VPC’s President.

The all-women panel discussion covered winning contracts and performing them effectively, as well as best practices and successful strategies for growing and sustaining federal contracts. The panel was moderated by Suzanne Tufts, Assistant Secretary for Administration, HUD, and included CEOs from women-owned businesses that were currently on contract with HUD. A “matchmaking” session followed, to allow for face-to-face meeting with the various HUD departments. These sessions provided good information on navigating the HUD space and upcoming procurement opportunities. Deepa Srinivasan said, “my big takeaway was that staying in is just as important as getting in!”

Some facts and figures:

In FY17, small business prime contract awards amounted to approximately 48% of all awards, exceeding HUD’s goal of 39%. Over $739 million in contracts were awarded to 188 small businesses.

Source: Small Business Drive Job Creation and Provide Economic Stimulus – Issue 01. FY 2017 Annual Report