The National Center Will Host First Native Edge Institute in New Mexico

One-day event will provide participants with business training and winning strategies

June 8, 2018

Albuquerque, NM – The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (the National Center) will host its first Native Edge Institute (NEI) on July 24th at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Native Edge Institute, facilitated by GovContractPros, will provide both growing and advanced government contractors training in federal and corporate small business programs, including how firms can leverage those programs to enter the supply chain of larger prime contractors. The NEI is supported through a generous donation from Key Bank Foundation, which was announced earlier this year at RES, and is being hosted in collaboration with the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of New Mexico. High-level officials from the U.S. Department of Energy are expected to participate in NEI.

“We are thrilled to host our first-ever Native Edge Institute at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque,” said Chris James, President and CEO of the National Center. “NEI will combine the National Center’s time-honored programming with outside expertise that will give attendees the leg up they need to be successful contractors. We are especially appreciative of the support from KeyBank Foundation, as well as the AICC of New Mexico and the Department of Energy. I look forward to a very successful event and look forward to strong attendance from Indian Country.”

The one-day event only costs $49 (lunch included). Program topics and sessions will include:

• Leveraging the Mentor-Protege and Joint Venture programs

• Staying small and surviving the mid-size

• Financing Alternatives

• Tribal, ANC, and NHO Strategies

• Compliance reviews for size and status

• Updates on Certifications: 8(a) Business Development, HUBZone, SDVOSB, Woman-owned, including economic disadvantaged

• Mentoring sessions with contracting experts and practitioners

  The preliminary agenda for NEI is below. To register, please click here.

  8:30 – 8:45 a.m.:  Welcome by Chris James

  8:45 – 9:30 a.m.:  Overview of Small Business Contracting and Set-aside Program

  9:45 – 11:00 a.m.:  Update on New Rules, Regulations and Program

  11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.:  Working Your Way into the Supply Chain of Large Primes

  12:30 – 1:30 p.m.:  Luncheon with Keynote Speaker, Charlie Smith (DOE OSDBU Director)

  2:00 – 4:00 p.m.:  Mentoring, procurement success coaching, and one-on-one prime business match

  2:00 – 3:30 p.m.:  Roundtable discussions with Department of Energy, AICC MBDA Center, and special topics on Financing Alternatives, Basics of Federal Small Business Programs and Certifications, and Advanced Mentor-Protégé, Joint Venture and All Small M-P Programs