Keeping with the innovation initiatives set by the Air Force, the 6th Contracting Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base hosted its second pitch-day event, Jan. 22, in Tampa.
At MacDill AFB Pitch Day, small-business vendors presented proposals to help fulfill requirements, close capability gaps or provide potential technology advancements at the 6th Air Refueling Wing.
"We set up the pitch-day events to expedite the process of securing solutions to some of the difficulties we face at MacDill (AFB)," said Jace Anders, the 6th CONS flight chief. "We cut down on the time of the acquisition significantly because payments are made to small-business owners immediately, and in turn, we are able to obtain goods and services much faster."
During the pitch day, MacDill AFB leadership selected proposals for signed contracts and received a 50% initial payment on the spot, with the remaining balance to be paid upon contract fulfilment.
One of the vendors that was awarded a contract for his personal cooling system was Dan Rini, Rini Technologies president.
"It's always exciting to get a contract award, but what's most exciting about this process was the speed," Rini said. "Usually these deals can take a year, but today, the deal was completed in under an hour."
The 6th CONS has remained at the forefront of Air Force contracting, and has prioritized Air Force initiatives to bridge the gap for small businesses to enter the world of Department of Defense contract work.
According to the Air Force's Posture Statement for Fiscal Year 2020, "We want to make partnering with the Air Force easy and energizing. We created a new mechanism to get dollars into the hands of small businesses faster than before."
The pitch-day event resulted in $325,000 worth of contracts awarded to small-business owners.
"It is really important for the government to interact with small businesses," Anders said. "We want to make sure that small-business owners get a fair opportunity to get on board with government acquisitions."
As MacDill AFB Pitch Day continues to garner national interest from small businesses, 6th CONS will continue to host pitch-day events and set the tone as one of the leading contracting units in the Air Force.