The Illinois APEX Accelerator at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will celebrate National APEX Day on Thursday, Oct. 12, with a mayoral proclamation and a pair of virtual webinars for small businesses.
The center, formerly known as the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), will begin the celebration by noting that Carbondale Mayor Carolin Harvey has announced plans to sign a proclamation Oct. 10 designating Oct. 12 as APEX Accelerator Day in Carbondale, in recognition of the center’s countless no-cost services and contributions.
Nationally, more than 90 accelerators served over 56,000 clients in 2022, helping them secure more than $24 billion in government contracts and subcontracts.
“Government contracting can add significant growth to a small business, and the center wants to help facilitate this growth in our region’s businesses while increasing the contract dollars that stay in Southern Illinois,” said Brenda Henderson, director of the Illinois APEX Accelerator at SIU. “In addition, we are a sister program with the Illinois Small Business Development Center at SIU and businesses get the extra benefit of utilizing the complete hub of resources. Our team encourages businesses to reach out and join our network. We are here to help businesses grow and succeed – at no cost to them.”
Sign up now for virtual webinars
Two Zoom webinars are planned on the inaugural National APEX Day Oct. 12. While there is no cost to participate, pre-registration is required.
Intro to Government Contracting is set for 9-10:30 a.m. and provides information about what you need to know to sell products or services to the government, including market research, small business certifications, what registrations are required, valuable resources and more. Sign up online.
Intro to Small Business Certifications will be from 3 to 4 p.m. It will cover the benefits and application processes involved for women, minority, veteran, or persons with disabilities to own a business. Register online.
In the coming weeks, the center is offering numerous other webinars and workshops, including:
- How the SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) Programs Can Benefit Small Innovative Companies (2023 update) – Oct. 19, noon-1:30 p.m. Online registration.
- Reboot 2023 – Starting or Growing a Veteran-Owned Business, Oct. 31, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, 1740 Innovation Drive, Carbondale. Planning is underway for another Reboot 2023 on Nov. 1 in Cairo. Registration information for these workshops coming soon.
- Find the complete list of workshops and events on the webpage.
For more information about the many services and programs available at the APEX Accelerator at SIU, visit the website, call 618-536-2355 or email Brenda.j.henderson@siu.edu.
