Get ready to catapult your A&E firm! The Boulder SBDC is hosting a special series of workshops for professional services firms in the construction industry. Thanks to sponsorship from Connect2DOT, this series is free to attend for qualified businesses (must be a professional service firm in the construction industry). We're bringing in experts that will share their knowledge about marketing, estimating, and getting prequalified to work on design projects. Join us for one or all three workshops in the series. To register for individual classes, click on the titles below. Or to register for the series, scroll to the bottom of this page and click on the register button.

Marketing and Business Development
March 29, 2017
9am - 11am

Do you know where to find new project leads and connect with clients? Whether you're the owner of a small professional services firm or charged with business development, this workshop will provide you with the skills and tools to build more business for your A&E firm in any economy. Led by a seasoned practitioner from a global design firm, you will gain an understanding of how to target business development activities, communicate your value proposition, identify opportunities, and build successful business relationships.

Benefits
- Generate leads that end in contracts
- Develop an elevator pitch that gets you noticed
- Prepare for a networking event and work a room
- Use a business development strategy to build profitable business for your firm

Speaker
Mark Schaefer, P.E.
Vice President
AECOM

Maximizing Indirect Cost Recovery
April 5, 2017
9am - 12pm

One of the most important and distinctive characteristics of pricing for government contracts is the use of Indirect Cost (IDC) rates. This workshop will discuss the definition, value and details of IDCs and policies that have a major impact on your profitability. The conversation will include the types of IDC bases and rates, the components and calculation of an IDC rate, how to determine the appropriate rate that should be used on a project, allowable and unallowable costs, and how a firm's business and accounting policies affect their rate. It will also cover common questions and potential pitfalls related to IDC once a project is awarded.

Benefits
- Develop a better understanding of FAR compliant rate calculations
- Learn how to establish business and accounting policies that maximize your IDC
- Ensure that you are tracking allowable and unallowable costs correctly
- Understand the effect that tax planning has on the indirect rate
- Learn from examples about how your policies can affect your rate

Speaker
Dan Markham, CPA
Markham and Associates

CDOT Consultant Prequalification and Master Price Agreements
April 12, 2017
9am - 12pm

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) spends nearly $115 million every year with outside professional services firms. There are numerous opportunities for small business to provide A&E services including landscape architecture, civil and bridge engineering, environmental, geotechnical, surveying, and construction management. Last year, CDOT updated its policy to require all licensed professional service providers to be prequalified and have a Master Price Agreement (MPA). If you are interested in working on CDOT design projects as a prime or sub consultant, you don't want to miss this workshop. This session will be led by CDOT staff who will walk you through the process of technical and financial prequalification, as well as establishing an MPA to work with CDOT.

Benefits
- Understand how to correctly complete the CDOT technical prequalification application
- Find out what additional documentation is required and suggested
- Learn how to navigate the CDOT Supplier Self-Service Portal to submit your application
- Understand how to complete the financial prequalification application package
- Review the requirements for obtaining an MPA from the CDOT Audit Department

Speaker
Kyle Dilbert, Engineering Contracts Manager & George Currie, CDOT Internal Audit Supervisor
Engineering Contracts
Colorado Department of Transportation






              


The Colorado Small Business Development Center Network is partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA.) The support given by the SBA through such funding does not constitute an expressed or implied endorsement of any of the co-sponsors' or participants' opinions, products or services. The Colorado SBDC is a partnership between the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, the SBA, Colorado's institutions of higher education and local development organizations.