GCC program works to link small businesses with government work

A center at Glendale Community College designed to help link Arizona small businesses with federal contracts is gaining traction across the Phoenix area.

The Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) began operating toward the end of February, but had its ribbon cutting ceremony this morning at Glendale Community College, where the program is headquartered. There are also satellite locations in Yuma, Tucson and Mesa.

The program was set in place to help small businesses find new avenues of revenue, especially from various government agencies.

The United States government is the single largest purchasing agency in the world, as it buys about $500 billion worth of contracts every year, but Arizona businesses haven’t had much of an opportunity to take advantage of those dollars, according to Daniel Ayala, director of the PTAC.

The program is designed to expose some of the opportunities for businesses to create contracts with both federal and state agencies, including school districts, Ayala said.

"It gives Arizona businesses another opportunity to grow their business in a non-traditional way,” he said.