Advocacy and Outreach - Matchmaker Activities
Advocacy and Outreach
With a view toward fostering positive working relationships between MBEs and state agencies, OSD serves as an advocate for minority business enterprises in state contracting, and as an information resource for MBEs, state agencies, vendors and the public. Osd also serves as an advocate to entities such as Enterprise Florida, Florida Black Business Investment Board, Chambers of Commerce, and the Florida Legislature, just to name a few.
MatchMaking Activities
In recent years, OSD has focused its attention toward “matchmaking” activities which are designed to build relationships between minority businesses and state agency procurement specialists, non-minority vendors, and other decision makers. These matchmaking activities include, among other things, assisting minority business enterprises in identifying those state agencies most likely to purchase the type of goods and/or services that their businesses provide, hosting the annual MatchMaker Conference and Trade Fair as well as numerous regional workshops that are held January through June of each year.
