The Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP), formerly managed by the Defense Logistics Agency, changed hands on October 1, 2022, and is now under the direction of the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP). The PTAP program was authorized by Congress in 1985 to expand the number of businesses capable of participating in the government marketplace.
As a result of this transition, all 90+ Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) will be rebranded as APEX Accelerators. The mission of APEX Accelerators is to “serve as the axis for existing and new business to strengthen the defense industrial base by accelerating innovation, fostering ingenuity, and establishing resilient and diverse supply chains.”
The services provided by the CIRAS APEX Accelerator will largely remain the same; help Iowa businesses succeed in the government marketplace. Our team of government contracting specialists will continue to provide no-cost counseling, training and events to Iowa businesses.
In addition to our existing services, OSBP plans to leverage the APEX Accelerators to find and connect companies with innovative products/services to government-led innovation programs, such as the Challenges Program or the Science and Technology Program. They also want APEX Accelerators to focus on getting former government contractors who opted out of doing business with the government to re-enter the government market, due to a 40% decline in the defense industrial base over the past decade.
Even though the high-level objectives of the program have a DoD focus, the program still exists to assist businesses with local and state contracting, as this is generally the starting point for businesses who progress into the defense industrial base.
For more information, contact Jodi Essex, APEX Accelerator Program Director at jodir@iastate.edu