Hands-on Registration and Certification Workshop (In-person Event)

Hands-on Workshop for Government Certifications will include an overview of government certification programs, the benefits of the programs and walk you through the registration steps of acquiring the certifications to help you grow and sustain your business. The workshop will cover these programs: • SAM Registration • 8(a) Certification Program • Hubzone Certification • Women-owned Small Business Certification • Veteran-Owned Business Verification • Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Certification • Small & Emerging Business Development Program This event is held in partnership with SBA, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Southwest Louisiana Black Chamber of Commerce, and LSBDC at UL Lafayette. If you are not familiar with the certifications above, please use the quick guide below for clarification. System for Award Management (SAM) - the federal portal to register to do business with the U.S. government and the starting point for many certifications. 8(a) Certification – an in-depth, 9-year certification program that allows socially and economically disadvantaged business owners gain training and technical assistance to become more competitive in the American market. This presentation will help you apply to the program. HubZone Certification - a certification for businesses in historically underutilized business zones to be more competitive in securing government contracts. Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged WOSB (EDWOSB) Certifications Veteran-Owned Small Business and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business - the presentation will help you verify that the business is owned by a Veteran or Service-disabled Veteran. This certification allows verified businesses owned and controlled by Veterans and Service-disabled Veterans the opportunity to compete for VA set asides. Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Certification – a certification offered through the Department of Transportation that allows socially and economically disadvantaged individuals a fair opportunity to compete for federally funded transportation projects. Small and Emerging Business Development (SEBD) Program – a certification offered to small businesses in the state of Louisiana that provides the managerial and technical assistance training needed to grow and sustain a small business.

Speaker(s): Jo Ann Lawrence, SBA

*Bring your laptop and business information to complete the registrations for the certifications. If you have any questions about the certifications or business information to bring, please contact LSBDC at UL Lafayette at 337-482-6312.

Fee: No Cost