Hartford, CT Subcontracting offers a valuable opportunity for small businesses, but can create a hurdle for the companies and agencies that need to find qualified providers of supplies and services. Finding the right company for the job is vital to the success of a project. CT Business Matchmaker was started in 2010 to meet this exact need. The event pairs small, established businesses and subcontractors with “Primes,” companies and agencies that are actively interested in increasing and diversifying their supplier lists. The 9th annual event, managed by the Entrepreneurial Center & Women’s Business Center (EC/WBC), will be held on the campus of the University of Hartford on June 14, from 7:00 am until 2:30 pm.
Registration for Primes will open Wednesday, January 10.
“The CT Business Matchmaker is our favorite event of the year!” says Bethel Hairston of Skanska USA Building Inc., “It allows us to meet with small businesses that we normally would miss. We are grateful to attend and Sponsor an event that helps open the door for so many small businesses in Connecticut.”
During the event, small businesses and subcontractors present their products and services in a series of ten-minute, one-on-one interviews with Primes. Most interviews are scheduled prior to the event, giving Primes the opportunity to review all appointments and decide which ones to accept. Event sponsorship opportunities are available.
Fred Wergeles, director of the EC/WBC, said, “The Center looks forward to hosting the CT Business Matchmaker. We see expanding participation in the event across all industries, including increased participation from women and minority-owned businesses. This year we are adding a special emphasis on firms in the construction field.”
2018 Gold Sponsors are The Metropolitan District (MDC), the Metro Hartford Alliance, the CT Procurement Technical Assistance Center, and, the media sponsor, New England Real Estate Journal. Bronze sponsors include Skanska USA Building Inc., Viking Construction Inc., The Hartford, and Methuen Construction.
In addition to the EC/WBC, organizing sponsors include the University of Hartford’s Construction Institute, CT Department of Administrative Services, CT Human Rights and Opportunities, US General Services Administration, and the CT Business Leadership Network. The US Small Business Administration is an event partner.
