63M-1-2101 - Projects to assist companies secure new business with federal, state, and local governments.

63M-1-2101. Projects to assist companies secure new business with federal, state,and local governments.
(1) The Legislature recognizes that:
(a) many Utah companies provide products and services which are routinely procured bya myriad of governmental entities at all levels of government, but that attempting to understandand comply with the numerous certification, registration, proposal, and contract requirementsassociated with government procurement often raises significant barriers for those companieswith no government contracting experience;
(b) the costs associated with obtaining a government contract for products or servicesoften prevent most small businesses from working in the governmental procurement market;
(c) currently a majority of federal procurement opportunities are contracted to businesseslocated outside of the state;
(d) the Governor's Office of Economic Development currently administers programs andinitiatives that help create and grow companies in Utah and recruit companies to Utah throughthe use of state employees, public-private partnerships, and contractual services; and
(e) there exists a significant opportunity for Utah companies to secure new business withfederal, state, and local governments.
(2) The office, through its director:
(a) shall manage and direct the administration of state and federal programs andinitiatives whose purpose is to procure federal, state, and local governmental contracts;
(b) may require program accountability measures; and
(c) may receive and distribute legislative appropriations and public and private grants forprojects and programs that:
(i) are focused on growing Utah companies and positively impacting statewide revenuesby helping these companies secure new business with federal, state, and local governments;
(ii) provide guidance to Utah companies interested in obtaining new business withfederal, state, and local governmental entities;
(iii) would facilitate marketing, business development, and expansion opportunities forUtah companies in cooperation with the Governor's Office of Economic Development'sProcurement Technical Assistance Center Program and with public, nonprofit, or private sectorpartners such as local chambers of commerce, trade associations, or private contractors asdetermined by the office's director to successfully match Utah businesses with governmentprocurement opportunities; and
(iv) may include the following components:
(A) recruitment, individualized consultation, and an introduction to governmentcontracting;
(B) specialized contractor training for companies located in Utah;
(C) a Utah contractor matching program for government requirements;
(D) experienced proposal and bid support; and
(E) specialized support services.
(3) (a) The office, through its director, shall make any distribution referred to inSubsection (2) on a semiannual basis.
(b) A recipient of money distributed under this section shall provide the office with a setof standard monthly reports, the content of which shall be determined by the office to include atleast the following information:


(i) consultive meetings with Utah companies;
(ii) seminars or training meetings held;
(iii) government contracts awarded to Utah companies;
(iv) increased revenues generated by Utah companies from new government contracts;
(v) jobs created;
(vi) salary ranges of new jobs; and
(vii) the value of contracts generated.

Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 382, 2008 General Session