The newest tech incubator in the D.C. area wants to revolutionize how small businesses do business with the government. From its new home in Crystal City, the veteran- owned Eastern Foundry will focus on creating pathways for small companies to get government contracts. Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) was on hand to cut the ribbon and officially open the incubator on Tuesday.
"The inspiration for Eastern Foundry came from our own frustration breaking into the government contracting space," said Eastern Foundry CEO Geoff Orazem. "From registering our companies, to applying for our veteran owned designation, to finding open solicitations, to the arcane world of proposal writing, we found the administrative side of competing for government contracts bewildering. Eastern Foundry is the ecosystem we wished we had. We have assembled the top professional service providers, coaches, mentors, and BD support teams to provide structured and personal coaching, and provide it every day."
At the opening, Warner spoke about his own experience in failed businesses (including a joke about almost getting sent back to the private sector after the last election) and how much the right ecosystem can improve the opportunities for government contractors.
The office space, which is already more than three-quarters rented out by small businesses, is only the beginning Orazem said. One way Eastern Foundry plans to stand out is to have a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility on site, letting businesses do classified work at Eastern Foundry, a big boost for getting contracts, especially with the military and intelligence agencies.
Having all of those companies in one place will also serve to draw attention from government agencies, who might find one or even more than one of the companies to be a worthwhile partner.
"Eastern Foundry will not only have a major impact on helping our veterans and other entrepreneurs start their own companies, it will also help to reinvigorate Crystal City," Warner. said "The model they have created with Eastern Foundry is an example of the growth-oriented, tech-focused, veteran-owned small business that will be an important part of bringing innovation into the area and into government."
