National Small Business Week Vendor Outreach Matchmaking Event (VOME)

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), is hosting a Small-to-Small Business Virtual Vendor Outreach Matchmaking Event (VOME) in support of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) National Small Business Week. For more than 50 years, the SBA has celebrated National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. DHS, a leader in federal small business contracting, continually provides opportunities for small businesses to support the many missions of the Department. The virtual VOME will be held on Thursday, May 4, 2023 with meetings occurring between 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. In addition, this VOME supports Ex ecutive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government, by providing a business-to-business platform aimed at decreasing small business gaps in capabilities, encouraging new entrants, and strengthening the small business vendor base. This virtual event is expected to raise awareness of subcontracting opportunities with other small businesses, facilitate with potential partnerships, discussions that may lead to small business joint ventures and teaming, and a virtual space where small businesses can present, to each other, their core capabilities. Each virtual session will be a 15-minute meeting established by the matching of core competencies, needs, and lines of businesses as identified by the firms North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) Code(s). What This Event Is: A virtual one-on-one 15 minute meeting(s) with other small businesses. An opportunity to discuss potential subcontracting, partnering, and teaming with other small businesses. An opportunity for new entrants to establish a relationship with other small businesses currently doing business with DHS or other federal agencies and/or actively seeking opportunities. What This Event Is NOT: A virtual Vendor Outreach Session. There are no meetings with DHS Small Business Specialists or Large Businesses. A procurement-specific VOME or an Industry Day for any DHS procurement. A webinar event and slides will not be provided. Small businesses are required to register and provide the required information that includes a capability statement and a valid email address in their profile compatible with various virtual meeting tools (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, etc.). Once your firm receives confirmation of a meeting from the scheduling site, you will receive a follow-up email with the virtual meeting invitation. Please refer to the attached registration guide. Registration is now open until 11:59 PM EDT, Wednesday, May 3, 2023. If you have questions regarding this virtual VOME, forward them to [email protected]. The direct registration link is https://smalltosmallvome.mbmapp.com/.