Press Releases

April 7, 2010

Procurement Summit Connected Minority Entrepreneurs to Opportunities

Philadelphia, PA -

The Enterprise Center, in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the City of Philadelphia, held the "Philadelphia Economic Recovery Procurement Summit" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Nearly 1000 minority and women entrepreneurs registered to attend the information-sharing and networking event

Since October, The Enterprise Center has hosted procurement summits in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. The events are designed for "shovel-ready" minority business enterprises with capacity, staff and financing to pursue procurement opportunities funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the stimulus bill. In addition to matchmaking sessions, the summits featured workshops on navigating the procurement and Request for Proposal (RFP) process, and maximizing strategic partnerships and relationships.

Today, hundreds of minority and women entrepreneurs -- job creators -- networked with peer business owners and prime contractors, including AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc., AstraZeneca, Boeing, SugarHouse Casino and Weston Solutions. They also met with representatives from federal, state and city agencies, including the Small Business Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, General Services Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of General Services, PennDOT, the School District of Philadelphia, SEPTA and the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority.

The speakers included Mayor Michael Nutter, City Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr., Small Business Administration Deputy Associate Administrator Eugene Cornelius, Jr., Department of General Services Secretary James P. Creedon and Office of Economic Opportunity Director Angela Dowd-Burton.

Mayor Nutter said: "We have grown too large for The Enterprise Center ... It's a great view from up here. I get to see the future of this city."

Nutter underscored his commitment to breaking down barriers in the public and private sectors. Noting the $3 billion in contracting opportunities in the private sector, he encouraged attendees to go after both stimulus and non-stimulus projects in the five-county region. "Economic recovery will not work if the same old folks get the same old thing all of the time. Everyone has to participate ... Work with us because we are going to work with you. Your success ensures our success."

City Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr. observed that putting processes in place to ensure the economic recovery is real for everyone is a daunting task. "It's not a perfect system. It's not what it could be, but it's a lot better than it was." Jones recognized the primes and agency representatives -- "game changers" -- in the room. He also commended "the men and women who have managed to survive a recession. I see opportunity. I see willing CEOs and game-changers who are willing to remove obstacles ... I see change."

Eugene Cornelius, Jr., Deputy Associate Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, said Philadelphia is on Washington policymakers radar screen as a model for the nation. Philadelphia remains the example for the Recovery Act. The city shows the world that we can leave out of the recession with the growth of jobs and the growth of opportunities.

Department of General Services Secretary and Chief Implementation Officer James P. Creedon noted: "This is the largest outreach that I've seen anywhere in the state." Creedon told attendees their "market-penetration strategies will be more effective if you know where the opportunities are." He advised them to look for opportunities with The Reinvestment Fund, PENNVEST, Health IT and broadband. And if they encounter any challenges, Creedon said: "Call us. We are here to help as much as possible."

Six months and six procurement summits later, Della Clark, President of The Enterprise Center, observed: "Minority entrepreneurs are more informed about the process. There has been both educational outreach and some real opportunities have come about. More people are bidding. While their awareness is rising, their understanding of the process and the different funding streams is rising, but barriers are still there.

"I am encouraged that our voices are being heard. But we're not where we need to be to create opportunities that will lead to sustainable economic growth.

"Where do we go from here? We will follow up Mayor Nutter and Secretary Creedon's recommendation and reach out to private sector recipients of direct federal stimulus spending in Philadelphia County, which totals $453 million. We will continue to advocate for data-driven models of inclusion and accountability in both the public and private sectors. "