Curriculum
Upcoming Policy Events & Training Calendar
Upcoming Webinars:
- Give Me 5 Webinar- Building OSDBU Relationships
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT
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- Give Me 5 141: “Intro to Teaming”
Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 3 PM ET/12 PM PT
Register now
List of Courses
Give Me 5 Federal Contracting Training Curriculum
The Give Me 5 Member's Archive features downloadable podcasts of the courses listed below.
100 Level: Understanding the Federal Marketplace and First Steps
200 Level: Getting Started as a Government Contractor and Certification
300 Level: Taking Your Business to the Next Level with Federal Contracts
400 Level: The Requirements of Doing Business with Specific Agencies
100 Level: Understanding the Federal Marketplace
Courses will provide a basic introduction to the Federal Procurement Marketplace while emphasizing the significant business opportunity in federal contracting for Women Business Owners. Topics include CCR registration, learning the meanings of basic contracting acronyms, dispelling any myths, and guidance on how to research the regulatory environment to answer the question, "Is this right for me?"
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Give Me 5 101: Introduction to Federal Procurement and a guide to Central Contractor Registration Topics discussed include the tremendous opportunity in federal contracts for women business owners to expand their business and CCR Registration including information you need to register, how to register, and how to build your SBA profile after registration. Course Instructor: Gloria Larkin, President, TargetGov
Listen to the Podcast | View the Presentation
Register for the Live Webinar on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 - 3 PM ET/12 PM PT
Give Me 5 102: What's next after I register on the CCR? Top level guide on what business owners should be doing after they complete their registration on the Central Contractor Registration. Topics discussed include a review of the CCR record, SBA profile, the Small Business Dynamic Search Process, and an overview of how the federal government buys products and services. Course Instructor: G. LaVern Jackson, President, Joint Logistics Managers, Inc.
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Give Me 5 104: Introduction to the GSA Schedule Overview of the General Services Administration Schedule and what it can mean for your business. Topics to be discussed include: what it is, why should you have it or not, the fine print and details you should know, as well as expectations and time frames. There will be time allotted for questions and answer. Course instructor: Courtney Fairchild, President, Global Services.
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Give Me 5 105: Getting Started in the Federal Procurement Marketplace Overview of what you need to do to sign up and get registered as a small business wanting to do business with the Federal Government. Course Instructor: Donn Miller-Kermani, Ph.D., Director, Women’s Business Center – Florida Institute of Technology.
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Give Me 5 106: Does the Government Buy What I Sell? Discover how to determine whether the Federal Government buys the product or service your business offers. Learn the who, what, when, where and how of the buy-sell cycle of the federal government. This information will be key in your "go to market strategy" to land the world’s biggest customer. Course Instructor: Doña Storey, President, GOVtips,LLC.
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Register for the Live Webinar on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 - 3 PM ET/12 PM PT
Give Me 5 107: Four Easy Lessons in Free Market Research This training will show you how to find competitive intelligence and prospects from four free courses that will make your marketing and research budget go further when you're just getting started. Course Instructor: Judy Bradt, Principal, Summit Insight, LLC
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Give Me 5 108: Renewing and Developing Your CCR & ORCA Profiles Your profile on the federal databases will expire if you don’t regularly update/renew your information. This webinar will guide you through renewing your CCR & ORCA profiles, a critical process to being successful in the federal procurement marketplace. Course instructor: Angela Dingle, President, Ex Nihilo Management LLC
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Give Me 5 109: A Guide to Free Resources This session will provide an overview of the free, good, and inexpensive cost-effective resources that are available to assist you with the first steps to government contracting Course Instructor: Judy Bradt, Principal, Summit Insight, LLC
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Give Me 5 110 : Pitching your company to the Federal Government Your capability statement is your most powerful tool in marketing yourself to the Federal Government and can help you open doors to expand your business through government contracting. This session will help you learn more about how to market yourself best to these agencies. Course Instructor: Lourdes Martin-Rosa, President, Government Business Solutions and American Express OPEN Advisor on Government Contracts
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Give Me 5 119: Business Development for Federal Contracting Business development for federal contracting can be tricky. Learn how to develop a strategy to build and expand new relationships with decision-makers and market your business effectively in the ever-changing economic landscape. Course Instructor: Lisa M. Firestone, MHSA, President, Managed Care Advisors, Inc .
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Give Me 5 120: Getting your DUNS Number In today's global economy, Dun & Bradstreet's Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS), has become the standard for keeping track of the world's businesses, and is a requirement for businesses registering on the Central Contractor Registration. Course Instructor: Phyllis Meyer, Director, Partnership Marketing, Dun & Bradstreet.
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Give Me 5 125: Identifying Federal Government Contracting Opportunities This session will give you step by step instructions on how to find federal government contracting opportunities, including how to register for federal government opportunities, how to receive notices of contract opportunities, and how to find subcontracting opportunities. Course Instructor: Barbara English, President/CEO, English Solutions, Inc.
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Give Me 5 126: Introduction to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Before you bid on a government contract, and after you win, you need know what your responsibilities will be based on the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) clauses in your contract. This course offers a detailed but common sense explanation of what the clauses mean. Course Instructor: Barbara English, President/CEO, English Solutions, Inc.
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Give Me 5 127: Gain a Competitive Edge in Government Contracting This session provides an overview of key information and strategies for businesses entering the Federal Procurement Marketplace, including how the federal government buys, steps to get your company “contract-ready”, and how to identify upcoming opportunities Course Instructor: Lourdes Martin-Rosa, President, Government Business Solutions and American Express OPEN Advisor on Government Contracts
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Give Me 5 128: The Top Five Marketing Strategies You Must Do To Win Government Contracts This session will outline key strategies for breaking in to the Federal Procurement arena and making sure your company gets noticed, including overviews of how to do market research, how GSA Schedules work, and the importance of certification. Course Instructor: Barbara English, President/CEO, English Solutions, Inc.
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Give Me 5 129: How to Write Successful Proposals (Three Part Series)This very special 3 part series will give you step by step instructions on the Do’s and Don’ts on how to write winning proposals on federal government solicitations. You will learn in detail the contents of an RFP, understanding pricing tools and whether "to bid or not to bid". Don't miss this unique and intensive learning opportunity. Course Instructor: Barbara English, President, English Solutions, Inc.
Register for Part One on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 - 3 PM ET/12 PM PT
Register for Part Two on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 - 3 PM ET/12 PM PT
Register for Part Three on Wednesday, April 25, 2012 - 3 PM ET/12 PM PT
Give Me 5 130: How to Certify for the WOSB Federal Contract Program The first stages of implementation of the SBA’s Women Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) Federal Contract Program began on February 4th, 2011, including new document submittal and registration requirements to become WOSB certified through the SBA. This course will walk through the necessary steps to self certify for participation in the WOSB Program. Course Instructor: Angela Dingle, President, Ex Nihilo Management LLC
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Give Me 5 131: Using your WOSB Certification to Win Contracts Now that you are self-certified as a Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), it is critical that you know the requirements unique to the WOSB Program for you to participate in, compete for and win federal contracts. This session takes you through the next steps after certification including the 4 required steps to compete for a WOSB set aside contract and how to grant the contracting officer access to your certification in the repository. Course Instructor: Gloria Larkin, President, TargetGov & WIPP Board Member
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Register for the Live Webinar on Wednesday, April 4, 2012 - 3 PM ET/12 PM PT
Give Me 5 133: Mapping the Road to Federal Dollars This session will help you develop a winning strategy to pursue Federal Contracts. Learn how to analyze existing marketplace for competition, define key market characteristics for your message and link strategy with market characteristics Course Instructor: Jennifer Bisceglie, President, Interos Solutions, Inc.
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Give Me 5 140: Getting Prepared for Subcontracting Small businesses are a valuable tool for large companies seeking federal contracts. This session will teach you what you must do to be prepared to subcontract, how to market yourself to primes, and the opportunities for building past performance for federal contracting. Course Instructor: Catherine Giordano, President/CEO, Knowledge Information Systems, Inc.
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Give Me 5 141: Intro to Teaming Teaming is a great option for small businesses looking to win government contracts and expand their business. Finding companies with complementary skills and capabilities helps you compete for Schedule orders for which you wouldn’t otherwise qualify. Teaming also helps eliminate geographic and resource barriers an individual business owner may face, while reducing risk by sharing responsibilities. Join this informative webinar to learn help your business achieve further success through teaming. Course Instructors: Michelle Thompson-Dolberry, President, EMDO Enterprises and WIPP Director of Strategic Initiatives and Denise Rodriguez-Lopez, Esq. President & CEO, The KMJ Company.
Register for the Live Webinar on Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - 3 PM ET/12 PM PT
Give Me 5 150 : Introduction to The Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract Program The SBA’s The Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract program became effective on February 4th, 2011 authorizing contracting officers to restrict competition to Women-Owned Small Businesses on federal contracts. This webinar will help you understand how the program works, how to participate in the program and how to use the program to help grow your business. Ann Sullivan, President, Madison Services Inc. and WIPP Government Relations
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Register for the Live Webinar on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 - 3 PM ET/12 PM PT
Give Me 5 161: The 5 People You Need To Meet For Government Contracting If you are interested in doing business with the Federal Government, there are key agencies and contacts that you need to meet. This session will help you target who those people are and how to best develop a relationship with them. Jennifer Bisceglie, President, Interos Solutions, Inc.
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Give Me 5 171:Leveraging Relationships to Drive your Federal Contracting Goals Developing a strategy for leveraging key relationships is an integral part of the road to Government Contracting. This session will provide you with information on how to network effectively, look for teaming partners and help you make the right connections to help grow your business. Mary Scheetz will provide personal insight and advice on how she used these tools to become a successful contractor. Course Instructor:Mary Scheetz, Principal/CEO, Consulting Concepts & Innovations, LLC and WIPP National Partner
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Give Me 5 180: "A Government Contracting Success Story" Barbara English interviews WIPP member and successful Government Contractor, Hester Clark, President, The Hester Group for a special "walk through" of how she moved her business into the federal contracting arena. The discussion will center around lessons learned, challenges that were presented and the success that she achieved. This first hand account will give you insight into how she navigated this process and how her experience can help you grow your own business. Barbara English, President, English Solutions, INC and featuring Hester Clark, President, The Hester Group.
Register for the Live Webinar on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 - 3 PM ET/12 PM PT
200 Level:Getting Started as a Government Contractor
Courses are designed for those who have recently registered on the CCR and will explain the basic startup needs for a federal contractor. Webinars will focus on how to develop the basic processes, collaterals, and strategies that will navigate you through the federal procurement system.
200 Level Podcasts and above are only available to WIPP dues-paying members. Click Here to access the Give Me 5 Member's Archive Back to Top
Give Me 5 Training 202: Exploring New Frontiers Guide to searching through FedBizOpps and using it as a marketing tool, along with the GSA Schedule and the CCR, as well as examining capture planning as a jump start to determine if the opportunity is right for your business. Course Instructor: Donn Miller-Kermani, Director, Women's Business Center Florida Institute of Technology.
Give Me 5 203: What You Must Have Ready Before You Apply For Government Contracts How to fine-tune your business' presentation for federal contracting, including your website, capability statement, and other written materials. Course Instructor: Gloria Larkin, Co-Chair of WIPP's Procurement Committee & President, TargetGov.
Give Me 5 204: Women Business Enterprise Certification WBE Certification How do I get it and what good is it? An overview of requirements that must be met to be certified as a Women Business Enterprise, what it is and what it isn't and how to fully utilize and market your WBE certification once obtained. Course Instructor: Heather Herndon Wright, Senior Director Alliance Relationships, Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
Give Me 5 205: The Rules of the 8(a) Business Development Program A guide to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 13 Part 124, covering the provisions of the 8(a) Business Development Program, including both the applicant's & SBA's rights, obligations and requirements. The more you know, the better you position yourself for sole source contracts, partnering, and many other components of the 8(a) program. Course Instructor: Lisa Dolan, President, SECURIT.
Give Me 5 206: The FAR & The Pitfalls You Must Watch Out For A guide to the Federal Acquisition Regulation and the rules you need to know to do business with the Federal Government. Course Instructor: Pamela J. Mazza, Managing Partner, PilieroMazza, PLLC.
Give Me 5 207: Success Strategies A guide to strategies and tactics for your business to be successful in federal procurement, including an analysis of vulnerability in your local marketplace and creating niche demand. Course Instructor: Catherine Giordano, President/CEO, Knowledge Information Systems, Inc.
Give Me 5 208: Prime Contracting vs. Sub Contracting An overview of the different levels of contracting and what is best for your business. Course Instructor: Sylvia Medina, President, North Wind, Inc.
Give Me 5 209: Eligibility Requirements for the 8(a) BD program This session will focus on: the requirements for participation, who is socially and economically disadvantaged, the advantages of 8(a) certification, and the program length. Course Instructor: Lisa Dolan, President, Securit.
Give Me 5 211: All About the OSDBU The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Utilization provides a representative to Federal Agencies to promote small businesses and to connect you with contractors. This webinar will provide you with a guide to working most effectively with the Agencies’ OSDBUs to help you win federal contracts. Course Instructor: Doña Storey, President, Quality Technical Services, Inc.
Give Me 5 212: GSA Schedules Part II An in-depth guide to GSA Schedules and the way the Government spends. Topics include: How to manage the ordering process, How to maintain your schedule and keep compliant, GSA Advantage and e-Buy, and state, local, and disaster recovery spending Course instructor: Courtney Fairchild, President, Global Services
Give Me 5 217: Business Development and Certification Join us to learn about avenues and resources that will help you take your company to the next level, how to use certification as a marketing tool, and examples of WBE’s that have achieved business growth success. Course Instructor: Nancy Allen, President & CEO, Women’s Business Development Center/Florida Regional Partner of WBENC
Give Me 5 218: Learn the Art of Networking This training is designed to change your experience with networking by using targeted techniques to prepare yourself to be compelling to Government clients. We will go through examples of elevator pitches and discuss enhancement strategies to achieve the end results-- to get more business! Course Instructor: Angela Mitchell, President and CEO, ARM Consulting and WIPP National Partner
Give Me 5 219: How to Respond to Sources Sought Notices and Requests for Information (RFIs) Requests For Information (RFIs) and Sources Sought Notices are being used more often as part of the mandated Market Research process. We will discuss the purpose of these notices, the value of responding, how to respond, how to position your firm before and after responding and what the next steps are after responding. Course Instructor: Gloria Larkin, President, TargetGov
Give Me 5 220: Surety Bond Strategies for Federal Contractors An introduction to surety bond underwriting requirements and best practices to overcome underwriting challenges. This course also covers techniques for utilizing teaming agreements and joint venture agreements to create additional bonding capacity. Content suited for both first time surety bond users and bonded contractors seeking to capture additional bonding capacity. Course instructor: Karen Barbour, President, The Barbour Group, LLC
Give Me 5 221: The Policy behind the Proposed Women's Procurement Program This special policy briefing gives an overview of the SBA's Proposed Women's Procurement Program and an in depth look at the eligibility requirements for participation, changes in certification processes, and additional pending legislation as of July 2010] Course instructor: Angelin Barrios, Small Business Policy Analyst, WIPP
Give Me 5 222: Joint Venture Agreements Joint Ventures can be a great way to land a contract, but a having a solid legal agreement in place is crucial. Find out the advantages and disadvantages of Joint Ventures, tips on structuring a Joint Venture Agreement and how a Joint Venture differs from a Teaming Agreement. Course Instructor: Pamela J. Mazza, Managing Partner, PilieroMazza PLLC
Give Me 5 230: Ready for Prime Time - Is My company "Market Ready?" Judy Bradt consults featured WIPP Member Sandra Foland for a special walk-through of how to strategically move your business into the federal contracting arena and answers the questions: How can I tell if my company is ready for Federal Contracts? Which government buyers are my best prospects? How can I find opportunities before they hit FedBizOpps? Course instructor: Judy Bradt, President, Summit Insight
Give Me 5 231: Ready for Prime Time - How to Make your Capability Statement Stand OutThis Course provides a first hand look at the consultation process between CEO of Colt Safety Christine Bierman and federal procurement expert Gloria Larkin as they take a look at Colt Safety’s capability statement and hone it into an effective document for capturing the interest of agency contracting personnel. Course instructor: Gloria Larkin, President, TargetGov
Give Me 5 232: Ready for Prime Time - How to Leverage Teaming Arrangements to Win Contracts Lourdes Martin-Rosa works with Mary Scheetz, CEO of Consulting Concepts & Innovations, to put together an effective strategy for teaming and finding the right partners for bidding on contracting opportunities. Course instructor: Lourdes Martin-Rosa, President of Government Business Solutions, American Express OPEN Advisor on Government Contracts, and WIPP National Partner
Give Me 5 260: Successful Contract Financing In these economic times, financing small businesses becomes increasingly challenging. Join us for a panel discussion of recent changes to SBA’s lending programs. These changes are designed to provide additional access to credit and capital.Course Instructor: Pamela J. Mazza, Managing Partner,PilieroMazza, PLLC.
300 Level: "How do I take my business to the next level with federal contracts?"
Courses are intended for business owners that are looking to expand their federal contracting business. Webinars will provide information to fine-tune processes and skill sets, and will give you a stronger knowledge base to successfully compete for contracts. A focus will be on positioning as the best prime or sub, and discuss financial commitments and other considerations.
200 Level Podcasts and above are only available to WIPP dues-paying members.
Click Here to access the Give Me 5 Member's Archive
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Give Me 5 Training 301 - Planning and Executing a Memorable Agency Capability Briefing Set you and your company head and shoulders above your competition from the very first meeting you have with the Small Business Representative, Contracting Officer or Program Manager. We'll cover how to request an in-person meeting, the recommended pre-meeting research, documentation to take with you, discussion points, and post-meeting follow-up. Course Instructor: Gloria Berthold Larkin, Co-Chair WIPP's Procurement Committee & President, TargetGov.
Give Me 5 Training 302 - A Comprehensive Overview of Stimulus Spending: How Small Business Can Find the Money Course Instructor: Ann Sullivan, WIPP Government Relations & President, Madison Services Group, Inc.
Give Me 5 Training 303 - Pitfalls to Growth – What’s Keeping you from Winning ContractsThis session will assist you with discovering the most common strategies that business owners overlook when trying to win a government contract. In Part A of this series, the focus will be on Customer Relationship Management. You learn: how the government is different from your other customers, what to keep in mind when connecting with the government, and tips and success strategies for building a successful Customer Relationship. Course Instructor: Catherine Giordano, President & CEO, Knowledge Information Solutions, Inc. and WIPP National Partner.
Give Me 5 Training 305 - How To Use 8(a) Certification to Your Advantage
March 29, 2010 at 3pm EDT/12pm PDT
Topics include how to market to federal government agencies after getting your 8(a) certification and what government resources are available.
Course instructor: Nancy Goshow, Senior Managing Partner, Goshow Architects, LLP.
Give Me 5 Training 306 - Subcontracting and Teaming in Federal Contracting Topics include: a guide to the pros and cons, clauses to consider to protect yourself and your business, relationship to subcontracting plans, the problem of bait and switch, prompt payment problems, and when is a teaming agreement binding. Course Instructor: Pamela J. Mazza, Managing Partner, PilieroMazza, PLLC and WIPP National Partner.
Give Me 5 Training 309 - Joint Ventures This session will focus on the use of joint ventures to grow your government contract business. Topics include: What is a Joint Venture? What are the risks and rewards of entering into a Joint Venture Agreement? How does the Small Business Administration regulate Joint Ventures? Will a Joint Venture affect my size status? The SBA's mentor-protégé program will also be discussed. Course Instructor: Patricia Meagher, Attorney, Rossi & Meagher LLP and WIPP National Partner.
Give Me 5 313 - Contract Financing: A Panel Discussion This special session brings together expert perspectives on contract finance: from a traditional bank loan officer, an alternative lending institution, an accountant, and a lawyer. Topics discussed include lending requirements, cash flow management, legal considerations and insuring accurate record keeping. Panel Moderator: Pam Mazza, Managing Partner, PilieroMazza, PLLC, and WIPP National Partner.
Give Me 5 314: Lessons Learned - What I Wish I Knew When I Started Since September of 2005, Managed Care Advisors (MCS) has been providing comprehensive workers’ compensation case management services to several government agencies. For MCS President, Lisa Firestone, it meant learning how to take on the federal government as a customer and overcoming the many challenges unique to federal procurement. Join our host, Ann Sullivan, for a candid discussion with Lisa Firestone about the hurdles to expect in dealing with the government, how to build the right team, and a look forward into how new procurement rules are anticipated to affect government contractors
Give Me 5 315: Lessons Learned - The Ins and Outs of 8(a) Certification The second in the Lessons Learned webinar series gives you a look at SBA 8(a) certification with Regina LePak, president of Frances Construction, Inc. Regina shares first hand experience with Ann Sullivan on the process of becoming 8(a) Certified, how to use certification to your advantage, and the potential pitfalls to avoid once certified.
Give Me 5 350: The Importance of Debriefings Every time you invest your time and energy in responding to a proposal, you should always request a debriefing - whether you win or lose. Learn how to plan for, execute and learn from a strong debriefing. Course Instructor: Gloria Berthold Larkin, President, TargetGov
400 Level: The Requirements of Doing Business with Specific Agencies
To access 400 Level Courses please contact Scott Nolen at snolen@wipp.org
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Give Me 5 Training 401: Working with the HHS OSDBU Learn how the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) conducts women-owned and small business contracting outreach. Instructor: Debbie Ridgely, Director, OSDBU, HHS.
Give Me 5 Training 402: Working with the USDA OSDBU Learn how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) conducts women-owned and small business contracting outreach. Instructor: Sherry Cohen, Senior Program Analyst, OSDBU, USDA.
Give Me 5 Training 403: Doing Business with the U.S. Department of Justice Learn how to do business with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Click here to download the supplemental material. Click here to listen to the podcast of the session. Instructor: David Sutton, Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, DOJ.