Certifications for Women-Owned Small Businesses – Women In Construction Week Series

As a women-owned business you may qualify for certifications that give you a leg up in the government marketplace and increase your chances of winning more contracts!

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The main certifications available to women-owned small businesses are the Women-Owned Small Business and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB/EDWOSB) certifications through the Small Business Administration (SBA). However, women-owned businesses may qualify for other socio-economic certifications as well. These include Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) through Caltrans, and Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) through the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Supplier Clearinghouse.

In this webinar, Norcal PTAC Procurement Specialist, Nanci Pigeon, will explain how these certifications can be valuable for increasing revenue, and give a basic overview of the qualifications and application processes for each.

Webinar Topics Covered:

• Introduction from Norcal PTAC
• Introductions from our event sponsors
• What are government certifications and why are they valuable?
• Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB/EDWOSB) Certification overview
• Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Certification overview
• Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) Certification overview

Nanci Pigeon has over 22 years’ experience in the Department of Defense and federal contracting. She began her contracting career as an active duty Air Force enlisted member and upon retirement from active duty, she transitioned to the federal contracting workforce. In her federal contracting career, Nanci has worked as a Contract Specialist, Contracting Officer, Procurement Analyst and Small Business Specialist with the Department of the Air Force, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation. Upon her retirement from the federal contracting workforce, Nanci decided to provide her expertise in government contracting to small businesses by becoming a PTAC counselor.

Nanci specializes in federal contracting, registrations, and certifications. She is also well versed in California State registration and certification, as well as California Multiple Award Schedules (CMAS). Nanci enjoys working with each Norcal PTAC client individually and developing a specific course of action to help the client achieve their government contracting goals.

Nanci has a BS in Management from Park University and an MS from the Air Force Institute of Technology in Strategic Purchasing. She is also a Certified Federal Contract Manager (CFCM) through the National Contract Management Association and maintains a Level III Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C).

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Register for the other sessions in this series here!

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Session 2 – March 7th at 10am : 

How to Find Construction & Public Works Bid Opportunities

Register Here >>

Session 3 – March 8th at 10am : 

Panel Of Women-Owned Construction Firms

Register Here >>

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This No-Cost Training Event is

Hosted by

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Northern California Procurement Technical Assistance Center (Norcal PTAC) is a government funded nonprofit formed to help small businesses find, bid on, and win contracts with federal, state, local, and tribal agencies.

Sponsored by

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California Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) work to secure economic justice and entrepreneurial opportunities for women by supporting and sustaining a statewide network of WBCs. These centers help women succeed in business by providing training, mentoring, business development, and financing opportunities to over 16,000 women entrepreneurs each year.

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The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) is a non-profit association of women whose core purpose is to enhance the success of women working in all facets of the construction industry by providing education, professional development, and networking opportunities.

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Established in 1999, the Women’s Business Enterprise Council (WBEC) Pacific is a strategic sourcing partner supporting certified, competitive, and established women entrepreneurs. With capacity-building workshops, supplier information sessions, and focused mentoring, WBEC Pacific facilitates procurement opportunities, business networking, and supplier development.

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National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) – San Francisco Bay Area chapter is a powerful and influential organization representing and supporting the needs of more than 117,000 women business owners of the Bay Area. NAWBO-SFBA is the go-to resource for community, education, inspiration, political advocacy, partnerships, and networking for women who want to grow their businesses, be more successful and empower others.

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By providing their diverse clients with counsel drawn from more than 20 years’ experience in unique problem solving, Merriwether & Williams is helping to create a new insurance industry paradigm that transforms obstacles into opportunities, enables innovation, opens doors and creates more dynamic relationships between businesses and communities.

CTAP Program

The Contractor Technical Assistance Program was implemented by Alameda County to assist small local and diverse contractors to build their capacity by providing technical assistance, training, and help with obtaining and/or increasing their bonding capacity for work on Alameda County contracts. The program is sponsored by the County General Services Agency Office of Acquisition Policy (GSA-OAP) and administered by Merriwether and Williams Insurance Services.