Opportunities

8(a) Business Development

SBA's 8(a) Business Development programs are intended to help small businesses be successful for the future. Companies, just starting or in a growth stage, can benefit from the wide-range of services offered, including support for government contractors, access to capital, management and technical assistance, and export assistance just to name a few. See Programs to Assist Business for a complete list.

Government Contracting

SBA's Office of Government Contracting (GC) works to create an environment for maximum participation by small, disadvantaged, and woman-owned businesses in federal government contract awards and large prime subcontract awards. GC advocates on behalf of small business in the federal procurement world and offers a number of programs to assist small business.

Hubzone

The Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Empowerment Contracting Program stimulates economic development and creates jobs in urban and rural communities by providing Federal contracting preferences to small businesses. These preferences go to small businesses that obtain HUBZone certification in part by employing staff who live in a HUBZone. The company must also maintain a "principal office" in one of these specially designated areas.

Central Contractor Registration

CCR serves as an Internet-based search engine for contracting officers, a marketing tool for small firms, and a "link" to procurement opportunities and information. It is designed to be a "virtual" one-stop procurement shop that contains business information on thousands of small firms. CCR registration is free.

PTAC

The Rhode Island Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) is a not-for-profit organization funded by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation.  The PTAC assists Rhode Island businesses in selling their products or services to government agencies at the federal, state, and local levels.

SBIR

SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) is a highly competitive program that encourages small business to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization. By including qualified small businesses in the nation's R&D arena, high-tech innovation is stimulated and the United States gains entrepreneurial spirit as it meets its specific research and development needs. The SBIR program is administered by SBA's Office of Technology 

STTR

Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) is an important new small business program that expands funding opportunities in the federal innovation research and development arena. Central to the program is expansion of the public/private sector partnership to include the joint venture opportunities for small business and the nation's premier nonprofit research institutions. STTR's most important role is to foster the innovation necessary to meet the nation's scientific and technological challenges in the 21st century. The STTR program is administered by SBA's Office of Technology .

SUB-Net

Prime contractors use SUB-Net to post subcontracting opportunities, which may or may not be reserved for small businesses. Small businesses can review this web site to identify opportunities in their areas of expertise. While the web site is designed primarily as a place for large businesses to post solicitations and notices, it is also used by Federal agencies, state and local Governments, non-profit organizations, colleges and universities, and even foreign Governments for the same purpose.

Tech-Net

Technology Access Network (Tech-Net is an electronic gateway of technology information and resources for and about small high tech businesses. It is a search engine for researchers, scientists, state, federal and local government officials, a marketing tool for small firms and a potential "link" to investment opportunities for investors and other sources of capital. It also provides an Internet-based database of information containing Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards, Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards, Advanced Technology Program (ATP) awards, and Manufacturing Extension Partners (MEP) centers.

TradeNet U.S. Export Advisor

First time exporters, as well as seasoned international traders, need more from their government. Frequently, businesses must interact with several government agencies to complete a single task. The interaction is often uncoordinated and cumbersome, resulting in several rounds of inquiries and frequent routings from one government agency to another. TradeNet's Export Advisor was created to provide a one-stop access point to government for exporting.