Registration still open for Make Me A Match Business Forum | Arts & Culture

The City of Columbia Office of Business Opportunities cordially invites small, minority and women owned businesses to the Make Me A Match Business Forum on Thursday, November 15, 2012 from  1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 701 Whaley. Admission is free.

In 2011 alone, the City awarded $75,273,839.82 through its Subcontracting Outreach program, with $20,276,541 going to subcontractors so far.  During the same year, the City awarded $8,612,001.31 to Mentor Protégé Teams, with $2,138,503.53 going to protégés.

This year’s theme is Building Opportunities Together. Through this year’s program, contractors can expect to:

•          Hear about new contracting opportunities with the City Of Columbia;

•          Meet other professionals in the contracting industry;

•          Increase revenue potential in the upcoming year;

•          Reconnect with City staff in the Office of Business Opportunities and Utilities and Engineering;

•          Update knowledge and understanding of the contracting industry.

This year the guest speaker will be Mr. Thomas Frisby of The Frisby Group. With a legal, construction and financial background, Mr. Frisby has managed a successful construction consulting firm for over forty years. In addition, Mr. Frisby has been a Mediator in numerous construction conflicts on privately owned and government contracts.

The Mentor Protégé Program and the Sub Contracting Outreach programs offer an opportunity to increase skills and gain experience in construction or professional services with the City of Columbia.

The Mentor-Protégé Program allows successful prime contractors (mentors) to pair with small, minority, and women owned contractors (protégés) to bid on city projects specifically set-aside for this program and develop long-term relationships that are mutually beneficial.  For the Mentor Protégé Program, the City is particularly looking for general contractors in the Richland County, Lexington, Kershaw County, Fairfield County, Saluda County, Calhoun County, and Newberry County that are interested in being protégés.

The Subcontracting Outreach Program is in place to promote the increased utilization, capacity-building and sustainability of subcontractors, requiring a minimum 20% subcontractor utilization of bids awarded.

To RSVP or for more information about the program, please contact the Office of Business Opportunities at 803-545-3950.