SWAM Outreach Collaborative

About the Program

Category: Community and Economic Development (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

In January 2007, the Henrico County Board of Supervisors adopted a policy for small, minority, and women-owned (SWAM) businesses in county procurement. After hearing from representatives from various business organizations, it became apparent that the county had a need to reach a larger number of the SWAM businesses in the community to make them aware of the opportunities for doing business with the county. In 2008, Henrico County brought together the procurement offices of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the City of Richmond, the Counties of Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover and several non-profit business resource organizations to work cooperatively to increase the SWAN business community’s awareness of business opportunities and support available to them. The SWAM supplier, local governments and business resources organizations all benefit from collaborative efforts. The SWAM suppliers are afforded the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of business related subjects, meet face-to-face with decision makers from the local governments and learn about the variety of business resources that are available in the area. This outreach to the supplier community helps to prepare them to do business with the local government in a more beneficial manner. The local governments benefit from an increase in the number of suppliers seeking to do business with them and the business resource organizations have the potential of increasing membership in their organization and/or classes and events offered. All of this has the potential of decreasing the cost for contracted supplies and services.