Government Contracting

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.

PTACOur 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.

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  • Yolanda Cowart

    Florida PTAC at Pinellas County Economic Development

    Specialty: Procurement

    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 background combines public service and human relations experience with hands on leadership in equal opportunity, supplier diversity, business certifications programs, organizational training and development, and managing workforce diversity principles. Cowart is the procurement specialist for the Florida PTAC at Pinellas County Economic Development. She connects businesses to resources and tools for state, local, and federal contracting opportunities. She is a Certified Procurement Professional (CPP), a Supply Chain Management Professional (SCMP), and a Certified Verification Counselor. She graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor of arts in political science and history.

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  • Aubri Shauger-Haley, MBA, CCA

    Florida SBDC at Pinellas County Economic Development

    Specialty: Procurement

    Aubri Shauger-Haley serves as a business manager, procurement specialist for the SBE program at Pinellas County and is a business consultant for the Florida SBDC at Pinellas County. Shauger-Haley assists the business community by providing education in start-up and procuring contracts with the county. Additionally, Shauger-Haley is a power user in the B2GNow system. Prior to joining Pinellas County in 2018, Shauger- Haley served as a minority & small business special programs coordinator for Hillsborough County. She conducted construction contract compliance project approvals, audits, site visits, and project close-outs to ensure goals were met. In addition to compliance, she represented Hillsborough County Economic Development through involvement in business and trade organizations and associations, as well as provided instructional courses. She has been a committee member of (Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week since 2007, and was a NFL’s Emerging Business Super Bowl XLII Host Committee member. Prior to joining Hillsborough County in 2015, Shauger-Haley served as a small business specialist and a community specialist with the City of St. Petersburg. She has a bachelor of science in business management and a MBA.

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