Bowie innovation center works to diversify government contracting sector with latest cohort

The Bowie Business Innovation Center's accelerator program for government contractors has launched its third startup cohort with nearly two-dozen women and founders of color, all in an effort to add diversity to a sector in sore need of it.

It’s the first time the seven-week program will be held virtually, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But the mission of helping underrepresented businesses score more federal contracts hasn’t changed, said Lisa Smith, founding executive director of Bowie BIC, a nonprofit founded by the city and based on Bowie State University's campus.

The amount of federal contract dollars awarded to women and minority businesses grew nearly 46% across the last four years to $77.6 billion in 2019, according to the Small Business Administration's most recent data on prime contracting. But, even with that increase, that still amounts to less than 16% of total government contracting dollar volume.

The relatively young companies in Bowie’s program benefit from mentorship and networking with past graduates, as well as help and lessons in better capturing contracts and, normally, office space in its building, Smith said. The program, which costs $395 for participants and is part of a partnership with the SBA’s D.C. office, received funding from Capital One Financial Corp. (NYSE: COF).

“The economic development challenge for us is, can we help move the needle for them, through this engagement, so they can not only build their businesses and generate wealth, but also add employment,” Smith said.

The 22 companies participating this year in BIC’s accelerator are also part of the SBA’s 8(a) business development program, which was created to help socially and economically disadvantaged business founders advance in the federal contracting field. It's part of the agency’s larger goal to direct at least 5% of all federal contract dollars toward underrepresented entrepreneurs. And while the SBA 8(a) program is meant to help businesses, it can still be difficult to navigate, said Donna Wright, founder of Lanham-based Aurora Technical Systems LLC and a member of BIC's first cohort in 2019.

“It can be daunting and overwhelming,” Wright said. “Even though I had been in business, I wasn’t focused on government work. The accelerator program helped to focus on where we should put our efforts.”

After completing the BIC program, Wright said Aurora secured two government contracts. Overall, the accelerator has graduated 32 companies that later went on to secure an aggregate $26 million in government contracts, according to the nonprofit.

“One of the benefits of the program is the wealth of knowledge everyone who participates is willing to share,” said Denita Conway, founder and CEO of Proven Management, a D.C. logistics and moving company for federal agencies, as well as a speaker and mentor for the startups in the accelerator. “It doesn’t stop there. For me, I keep my lines open for them. I think a lot of camaraderie comes out of the 8(a) program.”

The list of companies participating in the latest cohort are below: