by Lauren Sloan

FRANKLIN
The Franklin Business Center will hold a “Lunch and Learn” workshop on how small, women- and/or minority-owned businesses can become SWaM certified. The workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 24 from noon to 1 p.m.

The program will be presented by Angela Barber, business services manager for the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity. It will be hosted by Franklin-Southampton Economic Development Inc.

Small business owners who are looking to participate in Virginia’s specialized procurement and contracting opportunities are encouraged to become SWaM certified. The SWaM certification is a vehicle to promote economic growth of Virginia’s businesses.

Becoming SWaM certified is just the first step in doing business with the Commonwealth. Each year the state buys goods and services totaling more than $8 billion. The Commonwealth of Virginia wants to do business with you and increase participation of small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses. Virginia’s eProcurement portal — eVA is Virginia’s online, electronic procurement system.

This workshop will cover the SWaM Program and designations, certification process and new on-line application portal (live demo), required documents needed to apply, and how to use the certification to do business with the Commonwealth (intro to eVA, Virginia’s Online Procurement Portal.)

Attendees are welcome to bring their lunches. The Franklin Business Center is located at 601 N. Mechanic St., Franklin.

The presentation will be in Suite 300. There is no fee but advance registration is required as seating is limited. To register, visit www.sbsd.virginia.gov/events/swam-certification-information-workshop-franklin-va/.

Lauren Sloan is the business development manager at Franklin-Southampton Economic Development Inc. She can be reached at 562-1958.