Luncheons will give small businesses insight, lesson on landing SRS contracts

A series of luncheons for small businesses interested in securing contracts related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) at Savannah River Site are set to begin this week.

The series is organized by the management and operations contractor at the Site, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS).

"We want to assure that any small business in the Central Savannah River Area has the opportunity to bid on Recovery Act contracts," said Garry Flowers, SRNS president and chief executive officer. "By attending one of these events, small-business owners or representatives will be better prepared to respond to the many opportunities coming through the Recovery Act in 2010."

The Lunch & Learn Series for Small Business will offer an outlook for upcoming projects that are up for bid. Participants will also gain insight on how to do business at SRS.

The set of meetings begins Thursday at the Southern Carolina Business Center in Barnwell. Meetings have been set for Feb. 18 in Augusta at the City Club, March 18 in Aiken at Newberry Hall and the North Augusta Community Center on May 15.

"To date, more than $100 million in contracts have been awarded to small businesses in the CSRA," explained Jeff Allison, manager of the DOE's Savannah River Operations office.

"In 2010, more contracts will be awarded and these events are a good opportunity for small businesses to gain insight into the procurement process," he said.

Recovery Act guidelines state that small businesses, wherever possible, should be utilized for ARRA work.

"We have scheduled these events in various locations and dates to accommodate the busy schedules of small business owners and representatives," Flowers said. "We want to provide any licensed small business in the CSRA the opportunity to attend."

A small business will need to attend only one of the events and not the entire series.

Only small businesses with a current business license from their local government are welcome to attend. Information on the series is also available through the chambers of commerce of communities in the CSRA.

To register, small businesses can visit www.srs.gov/recovery/lunch-and-learn.

Contact Mike Gellatly at mgellatly@aikenstandard.com.