Key Dates

Deadline for submission: June 12, 2023 @ 11:59 PM EDT
Acceptance notifications: Will be sent the week of July 10, 2023
Draft Presentations due in PowerPoint format: October 12, 2023
FINAL Presentations due in PPT format: October 26, 2023
SBC takes place November 1 - 3, 2023 | San Antonio, TX

 

Submission Guidelines

IMPORTANT! We suggest you first develop and save your submission proposal in Word then copy and paste the information into the appropriate sections in the online form. The online form does not have spell check so editing your submission in advance ensures greater accuracy.

NOTE: Presentations must offer professionally relevant topics and avoid marketing any product, person, or business service. All sessions are intended to provide professional development and, therefore, attendees receive Professional Development Hour (PDH) credits. The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) defines a PDH presentation as a professionally relevant instruction or presentation.  Sessions can be individual presentations, moderated panel discussions, moderated roundtable discussions, or case studies.

Submission Instructions & Important Tips for Completing the CFP

•  All speakers must accept the Content Speaker Agreement terms and conditions at time of submission.
• The Title should capture the essence of your session in seven (7) words or less.
• A 200–400-word description of the session content – the description should “sell” your session to the reviewers – be concise about the value to the audience.
• A 50-word summary of the session to be used in conference promotional materials – summary should SELL YOUR SESSION!  Make it catchy so people want to attend.  
• Four (4) burning questions the session will answer – solutions your session provides.
• A 100–150-word biography of the presenter or each panelist.
• Presenter(s) qualifications on the subject matter.

PLEASE NOTE: Upon acceptance, we may modify the session title and description to fit into our writing style and format for promotional materials, website, and onsite guide.

Please submit no more than two (2) presentation proposals. 

Four Focus Areas

Educational sessions will be organized into focus areas. Each focus area’s sub-set clearly defines the type of presentation proposals desired. Be sure to indicate your targeted audience (start-up, mid-level, advanced) and be mindful of the topic areas requested.  A session could be a stand-alone topic or grouped together with other topics for a broader session. Session length is one (1) hour to include time for Q&A.

Entering the Federal Marketplace - the to-dos for small businesses just venturing into government contracting. Topics may include subjects such as:

• Business Basics – organization, operations, finance
  • Understanding NAICS - #s, sizes, etc.
• Funding – seed, working capital
• Insurance / Bonding
  • The ins & outs of insurance. What type of insurance do you need to have (GL, umbrella, vehicle & professional) to protect yourself as it pertains to the construction and professional service industries
  • How to grow your bonding and financial capacity
• Business Processes – project management, etc.
• Contracts – Subcontracts, Teaming, JVs, understanding federal contract clauses
  • Large companies and what they expect from small business’ “Learn what they want to succeed”
  • Enhance your subcontract agreement & understand your main contract
• Successful federal project delivery (initial contract, small projects)
• Understand your financial statement and position your business to sustain your business development efforts
• I'm new to government. Where do I start?

Marketing and Business Development - ideas and approaches to promote and position a business. Topics may include subjects such as:

• How to write a winning proposal
• Capability statements that shine
• Pricing Strategies
• Market/Service / Geographic expansion strategies
• Networking and teaming strategies
• Marketing / Sources Sought, RFI, RFQ & RFP / Capabilities / Cards
• Building your network
• Successful BD / Sales Strategies (beyond SAM.gov)
• Building past performance
• Hiring Business Developers - Strategies for when you don't have the cash flow
• Market Intelligence

Regulations, Rules, and the Government Framework - what businesses need to understand about government laws, regulations, guidelines, and programs. Over the last year and a half, there have been extensive updates to large, small business, socio-economic, mentor protégé, and joint venture regulations. Topics may include subjects such as:

• Strategic Teaming & Joint Ventures (large and small)
• Mentor-Protégé
  • All small Mentor-Protégé Programs (SBA as well as DoD)
  • Subcontracting / Subcontractor Management
• Supplier Diversity (local government / commercial)
• Changes to the FAR and other regulations
  • Understand FAR regulations to mitigate liability in the construction and professional services industry
  • New regulation changes affecting the HUBZone, women-owned and 8(a) certifications
• Construction clauses that can protect or effect your business
• EPA and environmental regulations
• Understanding the Brooks Act
• REA Case Legislation 
  • Trends for REA filings, duration within which agencies need to respond by, next steps if REAs are rejected
• Labor Law requirements under Part 22 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation
• Application of Labor Laws to Government Contracts
• Understanding value of government debriefings

Advanced Business and Procurement Strategies - means and methods for established businesses looking to excel. Topics may include subjects such as:

• GSA Multiple Award Schedule and other contracting mechanisms
• From Government / Military to Civilian Life
• Preparing you Company for 8(a) Graduation
  • The final three years of 8(a) - how to prepare
  • How to compete after graduation
• Mergers & Acquisition
  • Profitability / Valuation
• Understand your financial statement and position your business to sustain your business development efforts
• Managing and mitigating risk, prevent subcontractor’s defaults
  • Succession Planning
• How to build compensation packages for business developers
• Strategically leveraging SBA and DoD mentor-protégé programs

Abstract Evaluations and Notification Process

Abstracts are evaluated using a peer review process. Each abstract will be evaluated by a panel of Small Business Council members and Small Business professionals from the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), VA, USACE, NAVFAC, and USAF using the following criteria: quality of abstract, accuracy, overall quality of writing, references, and relevance of the subject to the focus areas. The review process takes four weeks to complete. Notifications of acceptance for the SAME 2023 Small Business Conference will be sent the week of July 10, 2023.

Conference Information and Questions

The SBC Call for Presentations is being managed and executed by the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). For conference details such as the schedule at-a-glance, location, registration fees, exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities, and travel and lodging, please refer to the conference website at www.samesbc.org.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact us at sessions@same.org.