COLLINS TO ADDRESS PORTLAND SMALL BUSINESS CONFERENCE

WASHINGTON, DC -- Senator Susan Collins will be the opening speaker at a US Department of Housing and Urban Development conference focused on helping small business owners obtain federal contracts. "New England Business Economic Development Day: Navigating the Federal Procurement Process for Contracting Opportunities" will be held from 8:30am - 2:30pm on Friday, August 22, in the New Hampshire Room at the Holiday Inn by the Bay, at 88 Spring Street in Portland. Senator Collins is scheduled to speak at 9:00am.

"Small businesses are the heart and soul of Maine's economy. It is so important that we help them compete on the federal level, equitably with the giants of their industries," said Senator Collins. "The current guideline is that at least 23 percent of federal government contracts should go to small businesses, but many federal agencies fall short of meeting this guideline. We must see to it that this guideline is not merely met, but surpassed."

The HUD conference aims to help minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, and disadvantaged businesses, as well as small businesses in general, to secure contracts with the federal government and partner agencies. Workshops will be run by the US General Services Administrations, US Small Business Administration, Fannie Mae, US Department of Transportation, Maine Market Development Center, Maine Small Business Development Center, the US Department of Veterans Affairs, and The Veterans Corporation. More than 200 small business owners from all over New England are expected to attend.