Counseling

Virginia PTAC offers specialized services such as; navigating government databases, providing guidance on socio-economic certifications, answering contract management questions, and marketing to the government. Counseling is free of charge to Virginia based businesses in our service area who meet the qualifications for assistance.

Eligibility requires:

Our assistance is free of charge but we do require completion of a quarterly satisfaction survey which includes reporting of any awards from Federal, State, or Local Government. This information is provided to our Federal partner and used to justify funding.

Be prepared to give specific details on your needs so we can match you with the best counselor available.

Virginia PTAC counselors have decades of experience working in the field of government contracting and receive ongoing training to keep pace with constantly changing acquisitions procedures and regulation. We have access to a nationwide network of Procurement Counselors as well as having contacts in private industry and government agencies to provide expertise on more complex problems.

Counseling appointments are made in the order that they are received. Counseling appointments are done in person via face to face or virtual and may take up to two hours. Please be prepared to take notes, listen carefully, and ask questions to make the most of your time. For virtual appointments this includes being in a quiet location with access to a personal computer and NOT driving or using a mobile device such as a smart phone or tablet, which may cause the appointment to be rescheduled for a much later date as the counselor has availability. We also recommend you review our resource links, homework, and familiarize yourself with our website before coming to the appointment.

PTAP Counseling

Our areas of counseling include, but are not limited to, these topic areas:

  • Federal set-aside certification help including applications and leveraging
  • SAM registration and renewals (note: this is not an overnight process – please allow 10 days from submission to active in typical cases)
  • Virginia SWaM and Micro Business certifications
  • GSA schedules and other indefinite delivery vehicles
  • Market research of procurement histories
  • Capabilities statements
  • Proposal preparation
  • Marketing your business to the government
  • Proposal pricing and accounting advice
  • Pre/post contract award compliance

Some things we do not do:

  • We do not take walk-ins (counseling is by appointment only)
  • We do not provide legal advice
  • We cannot provide advice on how to finance growth or obtain a loan
  • We cannot provide advice on grants – our advice is limited to contracting with the government
  • We cannot edit or reword your proposal or operating agreement for you. We can review and make recommendations but it is up to you to implement.
  • We do not give you special access to government officials
  • We do not advertise or advocate on behalf of your company

Note: If you are an established client, please reach out directly to your counselor for scheduling.