September 9 – In many instances, limited-resource clients are first-generation business owners who may lack the training and knowledge necessary to market, bid, and win state contracts.  The Community and Economic Development Unit of the Cooperative Extension Program at Prairie View A&M University created The B.I.D. Academy, a nine-week curriculum-based program that focuses on  increasing the limited-resource community’s knowledge and skills that are necessary to compete and win state government contracts with the State of Texas HUB (Historically Underutilized Business) certification.

CED Program Specialist Talia Washington shares, “There are over 200 state agencies in Texas and all of them, including universities, are required to make a good-faith effort to include HUBs in their procurement opportunities. That is why the B.I.D. Academy is so important for small businesses to get the necessary knowledge on how to use their new HUB certification.”

The B.I.D. Academy was held weekly this summer, starting June 5th  and ending on July 31st from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. CED Harris County Agent Nate Peterson implemented and facilitated the academy’s cohort (model) certificate program which was designed to provide instructions to Historically Underutilized Businesses on how to successfully identify and secure bid opportunities with private and public agencies across the State of Texas. With a goal to equip small businesses with the knowledge, information, and network that will allow them to access over $2 billion spent with Historically Underutilized Businesses annually, this year’s second cohort class featured 18 local business owners, professionals, and entrepreneurs. The B.I.D. Academy schedule covered the following business topics, and each session included industry experts as guest instructors:

  1. Historically Underutilized Business Overview/Navigation
  2. Business Planning/Marketing
  3. Bookkeeping Basics/Wave Financial Intro Training
  4. Managing your Financials
  5. Building Business Credit
  6. Access to Capital
  7. Subcontracting/Suppliers Diversity
  8. Filling out Bids
  9. Graduation and Networking featuring Company’s elevator pitches

Program participants shared awesome feedback on the program and the weekly presenters:

  • “This program has been extremely beneficial in regards to understanding the HUB certification, sub-contracting, and utilizing the Comptroller’s Website.”
  • “Great class! I love the class. The class size allowed for classroom participation from all attendees.”
  • “The planned activities and assignments were extremely beneficial.”
  • “I had no idea of all the available opportunities before this class. Loved hearing guest instructor Percy Ly Kabir (Graduate from the 2018 BID Academy Program).”
  • “The guest instructors were both engaging and informative.”
  • “The guest instructors provided information that applied to our business.”
  • “Nate Peterson has been an outstanding facilitator.”

B.I.D. Academy’s weekly presenters included:

  • Session 1 – Natriez Peterson, Harris County CED Agent
  • Session 2 – Talia Washington, CED Program Specialist
  • Session 3 – Cylenthia Hoyrd (Graduate from our 2018 B.I.D. Academy Cohort) The Village Resource Group
  • Session 4 – Janice Jackson VP, Banking Center Manager and Nancy Topete Business Relationship Manager for Amegy Bank
  • Session 5 – Michael Bailey, Senior Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer for American First National Bank
  • Session 6 – Bianca Truitt, Business Development Officer for LiftFund
  • Session 7 – Monique R. Pettaway, Small Business Certification Specialist for METRO
  • Session 8 – Percy Ly Kabir, (Graduate from our 2018 B.I.D. Academy Cohort) Clover Horizon Group
  • Session 9 – Panelists and Pitch Judges (2018 B.I.D. Academy Cohort) Graduates DJ Johnson, C.E.O of Green Helix Consulting and Neal Harris, C.E.O of Blue Improvement Group.

Peterson says, “Nine weeks is a commitment, as the cohort model continues to grow, I hope the program provides small minority-owned businesses with the resources, information, and contacts to grow their businesses by securing bid opportunities.” The PVAMU Community and Economic Development Unit of CEP will continue to be a resource to help small businesses navigate state contracting. Special thanks to the program sponsors American First National Bank, H-E-B, and CenterPoint Energy, CED Program Specialist Talia Washington, guest instructors, and the class who worked hard and showed dedication for nine weeks of the program. We look forward to seeing more businesses starting and growing through this program.

Upon program completion, participants became certified by The Community & Economic Development Unit of the Cooperative Extension Program at Prairie View A&M University and included on our exclusive list of trained vendors as well as free business marketing through our various multimedia outlets and network of State purchasers. 

Are you ready to take your business to the next level? Sign up for our 2020 B.I.D. Academy http://www.pvamu.edu/cafnr/bid/

This work was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, 1890 Extension Formula Program projects under Section 1444.

 

 

 

 

Natriez “Nate” Peterson
Harris County CED Extension Agent
Nbpeterson@pvamu.edu
(713) 274-0988

 

 

Talia Washington

 

 

 

 

Talia Washington
Program Specialist
tbwashington@pvamu.edu
(936) 261-5119