|
|
Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center
About Our Program
Mission. The Mission of the Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center
(APAC) is to provide training and resources that help Arkansas businesses
generate revenues and thereby create or retain jobs for Arkansans through
effective government contracting. The APAC Agri Project extends APAC services to
farm-based businesses in rural Arkansas.
Vision. The Vision of APAC is to be the recognized source of knowledge
and assistance for Arkansas companies to compete and perform successfully as
vendors to public agencies and for agencies to achieve their diversity goals.
History. The Center was established in 1988 as an offshoot of the
Entrepreneurial Services Center operated by the University of Arkansas, with
funding from the Job Training Partnership Act Title III program. APAC served 250
clients statewide in those days, resulting in 111 contracts for $7,001,000,
creating or retaining 133 jobs. Its purpose was to provide government contract
assistance and education to the businesses of Arkansas. In August 1990, the
program lost its federal funding, but ESC continued limited service to the
clients. APAC reopened on October 1, 1993, when the University entered into a
Cost Sharing Cooperative Agreement with the Defense Logistics Agency of the
Department of Defense (DOD) to participate in the nationwide Procurement
Technical Assistance Program. Under this agreement, APAC continues to serve
hundreds of Arkansas businesses and dozens of public agencies. The University’s
Cooperative Extension Service and the DOD share the costs and operation of the
program, and the budget is supplemented by third party matching funds and
in-kind contributions. Major sponsors in recent years include Malvern National
Bank and Highland Industrial Park, and briefly, the Ouachita Partnership for
Economic Development. In 2004, the program moved into expanded quarters in
Malvern, where the public has access to a resource center and library dedicated
to government contracting, where classes and workshops are conducted and where
faculty and staff provide counseling and technical assistance to clients
statewide. In 2005, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation awarded a Planning Grant
to study extending APAC services to companies located on family farms. For at
least ten years, a small satellite office in Little Rock has provided
professional consulting for clients as well. For more information, please
proceed to the other page links listed below.
Operation. The Center is an economic development program of the
Community and Economic Development Program Area of the Cooperative Extension
Service. We serve Arkansas businesses in all 75 counties at no charge from the
main office in Malvern, supported by a fully-staffed satellite office in Little
Rock and unstaffed sponsored sites in several locations around the state. The
County Extension Staff Chairs, in each county, help to connect the program to
the local community. We also offer an accredited course for which a modest
tuition is charged, which is scheduled about three times a year for 30 classroom
hours in four sessions, one day a week for a month. The Center is staffed with
an Instructor & Program Director, two Procurement Advisors who provide most of
the counseling and assistance, one Procurement Technical Assistant and two
secretaries. The main center in Malvern is equipped with a classroom, a library,
and offices, and is open to the public 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The Metro Satellite in Little Rock is open to the public 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday, and counseling is done by appointment.
Back to Arkansas Procurement Assistance
Center |
