CANTON -- Businesses wanting to know how to contract with government agencies will have the opportunity to meet with a personalized guide to the process on Tuesday, January 20. The SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce will team up to bring a procurement expert to speak with businesses that want to learn more about these opportunities and how to access them.

Participants can meet one-on-one with Nick Burkhard, a representative of the North Country Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the St. Lawrence County Chamber office, 101 Main St. PTAC services are free of charge, but interested businesses must sign up for a meeting in advance by contacting 386-7312 or sbdc@canton.edu. “We are thrilled to be partnering with the chamber to bring this opportunity to St. Lawrence County businesses interested in government contracting,” said Dale Rice, SUNY Canton SBDC Director.

The North Country PTAC can guide businesses through the governmental purchasing process and can assist in marketing your products and services to the government. This will include help with determining your readiness to sell to the government, assistance with the registration process, and help in identifying potential bid opportunities. “We encourage any business that is even considering selling to the federal or state government to take advantage of PTAC’s services on Jan. 20,” Rice said.

PTAC can also provide guidance in researching and bidding on contracts, women- and minority-owned certifications, bid-matching services and pre- and post-contracting issues. For more information on PTAC’s services, call 788-4400 or email ptac@northcountryptac.com.