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 Mt. Vernon, NY - The African American Chamber of Commerce of Westchester and Rockland Counties and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority are working together to present workshops for disadvantaged, minority, or women-owned businesses beginning in April 12, 2008 thru May 10, 2008.
The four-day, 32-hour program has been successfully launched in other areas of the state to help business owners compete successfully for contracts with the MTA and other government agencies. Historically, 76% of participants are awarded contracts.
The "Hudson Valley PREP (Preparing for Profit)" Program for spring will be offered on Saturdays from April 12, 2008 thru May 10, 2008. Among the subjects covered in the FREE course (funded by the MTA and the African American Chamber of Commerce) are marketing, cost estimating, accounting and navigating through a bureaucracy. The PREP course will be held at the Chamber office in Mount Vernon, NY from 9:00am - 5:00pm.
"The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is pleased to join efforts with the African American Chamber of Commerce to assist the Hudson Valley minority and small business community to effectively compete for MTA and other government agency contracts. We believe the PREP Program is an effective mechanism to facilitate this objective," says Kenneth A. Neal, director of the MTA's Civil Rights office.
"We are excited about bringing this opportunity to local businesses," says Robin Douglas of the African American Chamber of Commerce. "There are millions of dollars worth of contracts out there subject to competitive bidding, and the workshops help individuals identify the keys to success in winning contracts," she says. The MTA and other government agencies purchase a variety of services ranging from computers to landscaping, and printing to uniforms.
The programs corporate and community sponsors include: The MTA and the African American Chamber of Commerce of Westchester and Rockland Counties, Inc..
NOTE: Individual participating in the April 12, 2008 thru May 10, 2008 course are required to sign a release form. The April PREP course will be videoed for use on the Empire State Development Corporation's M/WBE website.
To obtain a registration form for the PREP course go to our website at www.aaccnys.org and fax your registration to 914-699-6279 by April 7, 2008. Application will be accepted on a first come first serve basis.
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