WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, has announced that the Montgomery County Chamber Community Foundation (MCCCF) has earned $300,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for their program to provide technical training to veteran-owned businesses seeking federal procurement opportunities. Last month at a hearing of the Senate Small Business Committee, Senator Cardin pressed SBA officials to find a way to support more of our veteran-owned businesses through program like the MCCCF’s National Center for Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP).
“Maryland’s veterans are bringing their world class commitment to excellence and skills to the civilian world. This partnership is good news for our veterans and our local communities,” said Senator Cardin. “I have long been a fan of the VIP program, which taps into the incredible leadership skills of our veteran business community and leverages those skills to help our veterans grow their businesses and create jobs.”
Through a Cooperative Agreement with SBA, the MCCCF’s National Center for Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP) will expand and provide tri-annual training sessions to up to 150 service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) and veteran-owned small businesses (VOSB). The agreement includes $300,000 for VIP through SBA’s Boots 2 Business (B2B) program for FY14. There also are options for additional $300,000 grants in FY15 and FY16.
Senator Cardin has nominated the MCCCF Veteran Institute for Procurement program for recognition as a White House Champion of Change for Veteran Entrepreneurship.
“We are thrilled to announce SBA’s support of the Montgomery County Chamber Community Foundation,” said SBA’s Administrator, Maria Contreras-Sweet. “VIP shares SBA’s passion and commitment for providing support to the veteran small business community. We are excited to work with VIP as we continue to expand the resources available to veteran-owned companies and prepare them for further federal procurement opportunities. This exceptional nationwide program will also benefit federal agencies in fulfilling the 3 percent goal for procurement awards to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses by expanding the pool of SDVOSB’s who can compete.”
VIP is a business training program that helps Veteran-Owned Small Businesses compete and comply successfully in the federal contracting market place. VIP picks up where other programs leave off and teaches later-stage, early-development businesses how to increase their ability to win and complete government contracts.
Funding from the SBA will allow the expansion of VIP’s market-based training for SDVODB and VOSBs. VIP is an educational training program for owners, principals and C-level executives of veteran-owned businesses that trains SDVOSBs and VOSBs to compete and comply successfully in the federal market place. The 3-day comprehensive certification program’s curriculum is designed for veteran businesses to increase their ability to win government contracts by establishing best business practices.
Each year SBA helps more than 200,000 veterans, service-disabled veterans and reservists start and grow their small businesses. To learn more about opportunities for veterans available through the SBA, visit www.sba.gov/vets.
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