Offered through the Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)
Increase your sales with government contracting
Government contracting services offered by the Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) at the University of South Florida provides confidential one-on-one no-cost consulting to help Florida businesses prepare, research and bid on government contracts.
As a small business interested in pursuing government contracts, it can be overwhelming to navigate the process alone. Being able to pursue government contracts knowledgeably gives your business an advantage.
Our Procurement Specialists offer no-cost consulting to help your business with a variety of needs, including:
- Bid/Proposal preparation
- Obtaining registrations
- Obtaining Certifications
- Marketing to government and prime contractors
- Navigating conferences and events
- Contract administration
The Florida PTAC’s government contracting services provide training workshops to assist business owners in procuring government contracts as well. Learn more about upcoming workshops now.
This Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Defense Logistics Agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to already be in business?
Do I need to be registered with the government to get contracts?
What resources are available for working with the government?
Do I need to get certified to do business with the government?
Is there any training available to teach me how to work with the government?
Consultants
Karen E. Krymski
Florida PTAC at USF, Tampa
Specialty: Procurement, Marketing
Karen Krymski has more than 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur, owning a firm that specialized in marketing, business development, public affairs, organizational leadership and strategic planning. Clients ranged from start-up small businesses to Fortune 500 companies (gold emblem brands). Her company was retained to assist in achieving clients’ strategic direction, branding and revenue goals and most retained her firm for successful execution following the planning process. Krymski’s industry knowledge spans a broad range and includes medical (behavioral health, physician practices and home healthcare) and dental; utilities (water, wastewater, solid waste and recycling); and retail promotions. She built a successful federal government business pipeline for a women-owned IT security company and also founded a local chapter of a national women’s business organization, achieving 350 invested members within a four year period. She earned a bachelor’s in health education and a master’s in public health planning from the University of Pittsburgh and completed a hospital administrative residency in Fort Myers. In 2007, she was honored as the Managing Director of the Year by eWomenNetwork, was a finalist in 2008 for the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Businesswoman of the Year and was awarded the Iconic Woman award in 2012 from the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce.
Yolanda Cowart
Florida PTAC at Pinellas County Economic DevelopmentSpecialty: Procurement, Workforce Development, Human Resources, Organizational Training
Yolanda Cowart has more than 20 years of experience in public service at the local and municipal levels. Early in her career, she worked as a human resources and relations professional while serving as a liaison to the business community and advocacy groups. Her prior experience includes being a human relations specialist for Lee County Government, and an equal opportunity director for the City of Fort Lauderdale. Her work experience combines human resources with hands-on leadership in workforce development, equal employment opportunity, organizational training, and supplier diversity principles. Cowart earned a bachelor’s in political science and history from Florida State University. She is also a GrowthWheel Certified Business Advisor and a Certified LivePlan Expert Advisor.
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