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A Brief History of Government Procurement Connections (GPC)
When the Economic Development and Monitoring Section of the Affirmative Action and Contract Compliance office of the City of Houston was established, one of the first items on the agenda was to survey MWBE owners to determine their most critical areas of need. The top two responses were 1) Access to contracting opportunity information and 2) Networking and Contacts.
What better way to meet these two objectives than to provide a forum where MWBEs can interface with contracting and procurement representatives from each City department in order to learn about their respective contracting opportunities? Thus, City Connections was born.
The first event, held May 1996, was on a small scale, in the center ballroom of the George R. Brown Convention Center. At the following year’s event, state agencies, banks and resource agencies, free workshops and seminars, and the Awards Luncheon were added.
In 1998, the name changed to Government Procurement Connections, as our scope expanded to include representatives from the City, County, State, and Federal governments, making GPC the first intergovernmental contracting fair in the nation.
Government Procurement Connections further evolved to include the Port of Houston, Metropolitan Transit Authority, Houston Independent School District, and a host of government contractors and other exhibitors interested in providing direct access to small and MWBE business owners. Face to face networking sessions provide excellent opportunities for quality interaction.
The future is bright for GPC. Commitment, dedication, and the hard work of a number of government and resource agency employees and business owners spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S for Small, Minority, Women, and Disadvantaged Business owners in Houston.
Government Procurement Connections, has evolved into a collaborative effort between local, state and federal government entities. This unique event marks an exciting new day in inter-governmental cooperation and information accessibility regarding government contracting opportunities.
A host of elected officials have thrown their support behind GPC, recognizing that small and minority and women business owners play a valuable role in our economy, and must be provided with the information and resources that will help them become more competitive.
Participants at GPC will have the opportunity to meet with more than 200 City, County, State and Federal representatives involved in purchasing, construction, and professional services contracting. This year’s event will also include METRO. Representatives from banks and other organizations committed to assisting Small and Minority, Women, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (S/MWDBE) firms will also be represented during the Contracting Fair. In addition, some governmental agencies and private sector firms will award contracts “on the spot.”
Dynamic speakers will present informational seminars geared toward educating participants about the responsibilities of owning and operating a business, and other timely topics. Another highlight of the day is the Awards Luncheon, which recognizes outstanding contributions to S/MWDBE development.
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