Arkansas APEX Accelerator to host virtual expert panel, celebrate National APEX Day

LITTLE ROCK — On Oct. 8, APEX Accelerators across the country will celebrate National APEX Day to recognize their success in helping small businesses secure government contracts. Arkansas APEX Accelerator will host a virtual panel of experts who will share insights on pursuing contracts with the state of Arkansas.

The APEX Accelerators program, managed by the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Small Business Programs, provides technical training and assistance to help businesses contract with the federal government. This includes helping businesses register with databases necessary for them to participate in the government marketplace, identify which agencies and offices may need their products or services and navigate potential funding opportunities.

Arkansas APEX Accelerator is a part of the Cooperative Extension Service, the outreach and teaching arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. APEX Accelerator is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense. Services and trainings offered by the Arkansas APEX Accelerator are available at no cost for businesses.

APEX Accelerators in 50 states, including Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, will host events on Oct. 8.

“These events will celebrate the success of the tens of thousands of businesses that have leveraged APEX Accelerators’ training and technical assistance to successfully compete for and win federal, state and local government contracts,” said Melanie Berman, Arkansas APEX Accelerator program director for the Division of Agriculture.

Arkansas APEX Accelerator will host a panel, focused on contracting with the state of Arkansas, on Oct. 8 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. via Zoom. There is no cost to attend. Participants can register at arapex.ecenterdirect.com/events/2254.

Panelists will include Brandi Schoeder, procurement manager with the Arkansas State Office of Procurement and Esperanza Massana-Crain, director of small business and entrepreneurship development for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.

“Our event will showcase how our clients have leveraged Arkansas APEX Accelerators’ training and technical assistance to successfully compete for and win federal, state and local government contracts,” said Kimberly Magee, outreach coordinator for Arkansas APEX Accelerator. “Government contracting is a way for businesses to expand their potential revenue stream, as well as get their business and themselves better known. This helps Arkansas businesses succeed, and it also helps the Arkansas economy.”

Magee said Schoeder and Massana-Crain will share their agencies’ priorities, along with “access to helpful resources and business best practices.”

The panel will also include Arkansas business owner Greg Modica, who owns Government Supply Services, LLC.

“Greg has been very successful in the government marketplace,” Magee said. “When clients and potential clients hear from fellow business owners, it helps make government contracting seem like a more viable option. They may realize that it is not as daunting as they originally thought.”

Magee encouraged current APEX Accelerator clients to attend, as well as individuals interested in learning more about government contracting with their business. The panel will also feature a Q&A session.

“Our panelists will break the topic down into easily understood terms,” Magee said. “This will also give attendees the opportunity to ask questions of experts in the government marketplace, and we are all excited to share our knowledge.”  

For more information about the event, contact Kimberly Randle at krandle@uada.edu.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.