HispanicBusiness

WASHINGTON (PRNewswire) - The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) today announced its plans to use satellite technology this week to extend the reach of its monthly workshop beyond the Washington, D.C., area.

The satellite broadcast, "How to Become a GSA Schedules Contract Holder," is produced by GSA's Office of Enterprise Development and offers an orientation session for potential vendors. Slated for October 18 at 1:30 p.m. EDT, the session is expected to make it easier for small, disadvantaged, minority, 8(a), Hubzone, veteran and women-owned businesses to understand the bidding process and how to successfully obtain a GSA schedule contract.

"President Bush has instructed Federal agencies to make sure small businesses have access to federal contracting opportunities," said Boyd Rutherford, Associate Administrator for GSA's Office of Enterprise Development. "The GSA schedules program is the preferred procurement vehicle for the Department of Defense and is the most widely used contract vehicle in the federal government. Accordingly, by extending the reach of our workshop, we are taking an important step in meeting the President's directive."

According to GSA, 50 locations across the nation are slated to receive the satellite signal as host/viewing sites, among them Federal buildings, colleges, universities and county extension offices. GSA will also present a taped broadcast October 19 in Los Angeles during the 23rd annual National Convention and Business Expo sponsored by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Covering a vast array of commercial items -- from office supplies and copier paper to systems furniture, computers and laboratory equipment as well as services ranging from accounting to graphic design to landscaping -- GSA's Federal Supply Service operates the Multiple Award Schedule Program for all Federal government agencies to use as a streamlined procurement vehicle.

The schedules closely mirror commercial buying practices and provide customers with
literally millions of state-of-the-art high-quality commercial services and products at volume discount pricing on a direct delivery basis.

OED serves as GSA's advocate for small business. As such, its mission is to engage in strategies that provide opportunities for small business in government contracting.

GSA is a centralized federal procurement and property management agency created by Congress to improve government efficiency and help federal agencies better serve the public. It acquires, on behalf of federal agencies, office space, equipment, telecommunications, information technology, supplies and services.

GSA provides services and solutions for the office operations of over 1 million federal workers located in 8,300 government-owned and leased buildings in 1,600 U.S. communities.

Nationwide Satellite Broadcast Sites

*October 18, 2002 Locations:

NEW ENGLAND REGION: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr., Federal Building
10 Causeway Street, First Floor Auditorium, 1st Floor
Boston, MA 02222
To register, contact: Deborah Tarleton, (617) 565-8100

NORTHEAST CARIBBEAN REGION: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands.

General Services Administration
26 Federal Plaza, 6th Floor Conference Center
New York, NY 10278
To register, contact: Janice Bracey, (212) 264-1234