Title -- Projects to assist companies to secure new business with federal, state, and local governments.
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(1) This chapter is known as "Procurement Programs."
(2) The Legislature recognizes that:
(a) many Utah companies provide products and services which are routinely procured by a myriad of governmental entities at all levels of government, but that attempting to understand and comply with the numerous certification, registration, proposal, and contract requirements associated with government procurement often raises significant barriers for those companies with no government contracting experience;
(b) the costs associated with obtaining a government contract for products or services often prevent most small businesses from working in the governmental procurement market;
(c) currently a majority of federal procurement opportunities are contracted to businesses located outside of the state;
(d) the office currently administers programs and initiatives that help create and grow companies in Utah and recruit companies to Utah through the use of state employees, public-private partnerships, and contractual services; and
(e) there exists a significant opportunity for Utah companies to secure new business with federal, state, and local governments.
(3) The office, through its executive director:
(a) shall manage and direct the administration of state and federal programs and initiatives 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 for projects and programs that:
(i) are focused on growing Utah companies and positively impacting statewide revenues by helping these companies secure new business with federal, state, and local governments;
(ii) provide guidance to Utah companies interested in obtaining new business with federal, state, and local governmental entities;
(iii) would facilitate marketing, business development, and expansion opportunities for Utah companies in cooperation with the office's Procurement Technical Assistance Center Program and with public, nonprofit, or private sector partners such as local chambers of commerce, trade associations, or private contractors as determined by the office's director to successfully match Utah businesses with government procurement opportunities; and
(iv) may include the following components:
(A) recruitment, individualized consultation, and an introduction to government contracting;
(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.
(4)
(a) The office, through its executive director, shall make any distribution referred to in Subsection (3) on a semiannual basis.
(b) A recipient of money distributed under this section shall provide the office with a set of standard monthly reports, the content of which shall be determined by the office to include at least 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;