Mercer County, TCNJ Partner To Help Small Businesses Compete For Public Contracts

MERCER COUNTY, NJ - Mercer County is launching a free four-week training program to help small businesses compete for government contracts, County Executive Dan Benson announced.

The Mercer County Procurement Readiness & Empowerment Program is a partnership between the county's Office of Economic Development and the New Jersey Small Business Development Center at The College of New Jersey. The program runs throughout May and is aimed at small, minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses seeking to access county and state contracting opportunities.

"Access to government contracting can be transformative for small businesses, but the process can often feel complex and out of reach," Benson said. "This program is about bringing down those barriers and ensuring that more of our local businesses can participate, compete, and thrive."

The program features four sessions blending in-person and virtual instruction led by procurement and business development experts.

The first session, covering certifications, set-aside programs and capability statements, takes place May 7 from 9 to 11 a.m. at The College of New Jersey, 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing. A virtual session on mastering the RFP response process follows May 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. A second virtual session on decoding Mercer County bids is scheduled for May 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. The program concludes May 28 with an in-person session on navigating Mercer County procurement, held from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Boathouse at Mercer Lake, 334 S. Post Road, West Windsor. Light breakfast will be provided at in-person sessions.

Lilian Mauro, regional director of the Small Business Development Center, said the program is designed to build a pipeline of qualified local vendors.

"This program is about more than training. It's also about empowerment," Mauro said. "We are intentionally building a pipeline of qualified local vendors who are ready to engage, win contracts, and grow."

County officials said the initiative is part of a broader strategy to expand economic opportunity and increase diversity among county vendors.

Space is limited. To register or for more information, contact the NJSBDC at 609-771-2947 or info@sbdcnj.com.

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