ChallengeHER is a national initiative to boost government contracting opportunities for women-owned small businesses with a special focus on the Women-owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting Program.  In April 2013, WIPP, American Express, and the SBA launched ChallengeHER to deliver free workshops, mentoring, and direct access to government buyers.

2014-wipp-leadership-532

History

Since its inception, ChallengeHER has educated more than 23,000 women entrepreneurs at 75 workshops across the country and facilitated more than 5,850 meetings between women small business owners and government officials.

Mission

ChallengeHER’s goal is to provide women business owners with procurement education, best practices for working with the government, and resources to learn how to apply and obtain a federal contract under WOSB/EDWOSB set aside.

Topics Covered

ChallengeHER events cover following topics (for more details visit Topics Covered at ChallengeHER):

    • Successfully Navigating Federal Contracting: Getting Started the Right Way!
    • The Importance of Sources Sought to your Marketing Plan
    • Funding Your Contract (panel)
    • Subcontracting to Prime Vendors (panel)
    • Techniques for Writing Winning Proposals
    • Teaming/Joint Ventures and the SBA All-Small Mentor Protege Program
    • Women Owned Small Business: Leveraging Certifications
    • DCAA Overview and Resources Available to You
    • Understanding Federal Buyers (panel)
  • Match Making (selected cities)

These events are offered for free, but space is limited and registration is required. Visit the Upcoming Events section to find a ChallengeHER event near you.