Mayor Muriel Bowser joined more than 300 business leaders, contractors, and the Department of General Services for the agency’s District Business Outreach event held on March 12, 2015 at the R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center at the site of the former St. Elizabeths Chapel.

The outreach event, “Speed Networking: Connecting Primes with Subcontractors,” served as a platform for Prime Contractors, DGS Program Managers and Certified Business Enterprises (CBEs) to meet, network and identify possible business opportunities.

The event provided CBEs with the opportunity to have meaningful one-on-one face time to present their service portfolio and qualifications to prime contractors. Prime contractors were then able to share information regarding upcoming projects, subcontracting opportunities and expand their pool for future projects.

The March event was the second event held during FY15. Each fiscal year, DGS hosts four local business and CBE outreach events.

Along with Mayor Bowser, Jonathan Kayne, Interim DGS Director, JW Lanum, Associate Director for Contracting and Procurement at DGS and staff hosted the successful event.

With the success of the speed networking event, the Contracting and Procurement Division is now working on its next outreach event. The goal of the next program is to provide CBEs with the opportunity to receive training on the nuts and bolts needed to successfully respond to DGS Request for Proposals (RFP).