Small Business Administration announces ChallengeHER campaign

The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced its latest initiative to engage women-owned businesses in the federal procurement process. The campaign, ChallengeHER, was introduced at the Women-Owned Small Business Opportunity Forum Luncheon in Washington, D.C., presented by SBA, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) and American Express OPEN.

The ChallengeHER campaign leverages the resources of SBA, WIPP and American Express OPEN to promote the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program and bring more women-owned firms into the federal government’s supply chain. In the coming months, the SBA wil be hosting ChallengeHER events across the country to help women business owners better understand the procurement opportunities available from the federal government, including events in Phoenix, Seattle, New Orleans, Denver, Atlanta, San Francisco and New York.

At these events the SBA will be playing “matchmaker”—connecting women-owned small businesses with the decision-makers and contract opportunities housed by federal partners, both at the national level and in their local communities.

Women-owned small businesses will also be trained on how to register in the System for Award Management, which serves as the government contracting portal for all small business owners who want to do business with the federal government; and learn about eligibility requirements for the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program, which allows contract set asides for women-owned small businesses in certain industries.

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration