Saratoga Springs, NY- On Sunday, March 9th at 4pm, local Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand will be joined by local business and economic leaders to announce plans for a Small Business Procurement Conference on Monday, March 17th on the campus of RPI. 

The conference is an extension of one of the major findings of Congresswoman Gillibrand’s Economic Summit in 2007 and will provide local small businesses with information about how to gain access to state, federal and private contracts, in order to help create good jobs for the area and grow their businesses.

“A top priority for me in Congress is working to help create good paying jobs in our community,” said Gillibrand, who founded the Congressional High Tech Caucus. “That is why I launched an Economic Summit last September to help our region capture the emerging economic opportunities on the horizon. One of the goals that came out of the Economic Development Summit I hosted was the need to build a stronger link between business innovations and the marketplace.

Each year over $400 billion in federal and state contracts are awarded throughout the country to small businesses. Our region ranks near the bottom in taking advantage of these great opportunities, and Congresswoman Gilllibrand is working to change that.

Gillibrand added, “I would like to help facilitate this goal by providing local small businesses with the tools they need to apply for federal and state contracts.”
 
WHO:   Congresswoman Gillibrand and Mike Tucker, CEO and President from the Center for Economic Growth
 
WHAT:  Press Conference to Announce Small Business Procurement Conference

WHERE: Desmond Hotel and Conference Center;
            660 Albany Shaker Road, Albany, NY 
            Phone No. 640-6182;

WHEN: Sunday, March 9, 2008;  4pm

ABOUT:  In 2007, the 20th Congressional District of New York ranked in the bottom 9% of all awards for Federal Contracts. Our region has some of the most promising businesses, producing some of the most cutting edge high tech and defense-related products. This conference was designed with the small and growing businesses in the 20th District in mind, to accomplish this goal. Congresswoman Gillibrand wants to give businesses in the 20th District the tools and knowledge they need to attract those contracts and funding, and to create jobs and strengthen the economy at home.