Bellevue Chamber offers program to secure government contracts

The Bellevue Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Onvia, a business service provider, to help their members capture a greater share of the nearly $6 trillion the government will spend in 2010. The service, RFP Connect, delivers daily notifications of government projects from 498 regional agencies in the greater Seattle Metro area to Bellevue Chamber members.

“We want our members to have an advantage and excel,” said Betty Nokes, President and CEO of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce. “We’ve identified a way to help our members capture their share of government projects, which helps local businesses generate more revenue, keep and grow jobs and allows our community to be more prosperous.”

Through this new service, members are eligible to receive a daily listing of all the actionable sales opportunities, including bids, RFPs (Request for Proposals) and other contract information, most relevant to their business, from advance notice of projects through contract award. Members may also submit their own RFPs for bid and get free training to navigate the government RFP process.

“In these challenging economic times, businesses are looking for new opportunities,” said Nokes. “RFP Connect will give members access to leads from hundreds of area agencies, and assistance to help them turn those leads into new business.”

Onvia’s research staff does all the leg work.

“The Onvia team has created a unique and complete database of stimulus-related opportunities to enhance our ongoing coverage of all government spending," said Mike Pickett, Onvia CEO. "The Bellevue Chamber of Commerce partnership is a result of our company’s commitment to improve the flow of information between government and business and our desire to contribute to the critical needs of both constituencies.

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