Small-business owners can learn how to obtain federal contract dollars through becoming HUBZone-certified companies Wednesday, April 17.

Devan Costa Cargill and Deb Farris will present a Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network workshop titled “HUBZone Opportunity Workshop: Powell” from noon-1 p.m. at the Park County Library Powell Branch, located at 217 E. Third St. To register, visit wysbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=20440004. Registration is free.

The Wyoming SBDC Network offers business expertise to help Wyoming residents think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by the University of Wyoming with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

The U.S. government is the largest customer in the world. It buys all types of products and services — in both large and small quantities. Government contracts are a tremendous financial opportunity for small businesses, and the government works to make sure small businesses get at least 23% of all federal contracting dollars.

Census tract 9654.02 in Park County is a governor-designated HUBZone for 2024. The HUBZone program provides federal contracting advantages to qualified HUBZone small businesses. Small-business owners can learn more about the program during the workshop and whether their businesses will qualify to potentially obtain an advantage in government contracting.  

Costa Cargill is the Wyoming SBDC Network regional director for Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park and Washakie counties. Farris is deputy district director of the U.S. SBA for the Wyoming district office.

For more information, call Maureen Johnson, marketing, communication and database manager for the Wyoming SBDC Network, at (307) 343-0925 or email mjohn125@uwyo.edu.