Davis offers sales seminars

Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, will hold conferences in Boston and California this week to help vendors learn about selling information technology services in the federal marketplace.

Working with the General Services Administration, Davis will conduct the sessions in Palo Alto, Calif., on April 22; Torrance, Calif., on April 23; and Boston on April 25.

The program will give vendors pointers on IT opportunities in the federal government and how to navigate the government procurement process.

"The bottom line is there are a lot of companies across the country that want to do business with the government — and offer potentially valuable goods and services that will benefit taxpayers — but don't know where to start," said David Marin, Davis' spokesman.

While the private sector routinely holds conferences and training on how to get into the federal IT market, it's rare that a member of Congress will go outside the Beltway to offer tips on federal procurement practices, according to Larry Allen, executive vice president of the Coalition for Government Procurement.

The Bush administration is serious about helping small businesses gain a foothold in the federal market, Allen said. Even so, it helps to "have a presence in Washington to be successful."