Navigating Our New Website – Norcal APEX Accelerator
Great news – we have a new website! While you can find all the same great resources and more, the layout and features are a bit different so we thought it would be a good chance to walk you through it.
We also want to remind everyone that our website doesn’t just give you information on our organization; it’s packed full of valuable information on government contracting at all levels – local, state, federal, and beyond. It includes information about certifications, SAM registrations, capabilities statements, proposal reviews, and more. We want you to think of it as a key tool in your government contracting toolbox.
Our website is broken into a homepage and five main sections, each of which are laid out across the top of the page:
Here are some of our favorite features on the new website which you can find, as usual, at norcalptac.org
1. Services
When you click on services it will bring up a submenu with links to different pages on “Client Benefits”, contracting “Information”, and other “Helpful Resources”.
The “Client Benefits” column details what you get out of a relationship with Norcal APEX Accelerator/PTAC. You may not be aware of all the goodies that you have access to once your application is accepted, so please take a look.
The “Information” column is a goldmine. Here you’ll find a rich trove of knowledge on contracting which is broken into helpful categories. Curious about local contracting? We have a list of all the procurement websites for the major cities, counties, and transportation agencies in our service area. Want to do business with the State of California? Find our step-by-step guide with links in the “California Contracting” tab. Confused about federal certifications? Find our exhaustive list with links to all the relevant pages where you can follow up for more information. You can even find the archive of our monthly newsletter articles (like this one) that are penned by our knowledgeable team of Procurement Specialists.
Under the “Helpful Resources” column, you have just that. You’ll find the “Readiness Checklist” that should be your very first stop if you’re curious about if government contracting is right for you as well as the guide and template for making a capabilities statement. This section is immensely useful for contracting beginners.
2. Trainings
The “Trainings” tab is much simpler but no less valuable. Here’s where you can find two things: (1) our “Upcoming Trainings” (i.e. webinars and workshops), and (2) “Past Event Recordings”, which includes 5 years of presentation slides and videos from events we’ve hosted on every contracting topic imaginable.
We’re always putting together webinars and workshops – it’s one of our two core services along with one-on-one counseling. Check “Upcoming Trainings” to stay updated on what we have coming. We’d love to see you online or at one of our upcoming in-person workshops (yes, in-person is back!). These are always free and anyone is welcome to attend any of our events from anywhere, regardless of client status.
The “Past Webinars” page is an amazing resource that I use frequently and always advise my clients to take advantage of. This page has a crucial feature that might be easy to miss: the “FILTER” option. Since we have hundreds of webinars archived here, finding the right topic for you to start with could be a challenge. However, if you click on the “Filter” button and select “Search” you can enter any keyword and find matching topics. For instance, if you’re thinking about going for the WOSB certification, you could type in “WOSB” or “women” in the Search and it will bring up relevant webinar recordings and slides.
We want you to use this feature as an educational homebase for doing research outside of your counseling sessions. Anyone can access these, so tell your friends too!
3. Our Partners
It takes a village. We help our clients exclusively with government contracting but there are so many other resource organizations out there to help you with other topics. You’ll find some of our key resource partners here such as the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the Women’s Business Center (WBC), the Veteran Business Outreach Center (VBOC), and Caltrans Calmentor Program. If your need for guidance goes beyond our focus, please reach out to them. We couldn’t do it without them!
You can also find information here on our state and federal funders and the university campus where we’re hosted in Arcata, CA.
4. About Us
No website feels complete without an “About Us” tab. Here’s where you can learn about our mission, read testimonials from our clients, find our client success stories, and get to know our team of Procurement Specialists and Administrative staff. Importantly, you can also find our service area map here. If you’re thinking about applying for PTAC/APEX Accelerator services, check here first: do you have an established business located in one of the 15 counties on our service area map? If not, you’ll find a link where you can find other centers that may serve your region. If you do, then that brings us to the final feature.
5. Apply Now
As before, there’s a nice big red button for getting started with the client application. When you click on it, it will now guide you through some eligibility criteria before the application itself. . To save yourself some time (and paperwork), please read through this page before proceeding on to submit your application. If you’re not a client yet, we look forward to seeing your application!
If you are looking for help with government contracting or want no-cost help to find contracting opportunities, please contact your Norcal PTAC counselor for assistance or apply for services today!
If you have more questions, please contact us at info@norcalptac.org or 707.267.7561
Authored by: James Forrest, Norcal PTAC Procurement Specialist
