Big Opportunities. Bold Partnerships. is a collaborative initiative between Radford University, Virginia Tech, and the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD), designed to help small businesses better understand and access procurement opportunities in higher education. The initiative consists of a six-part virtual workshop series, running from September 2025 through March 2026 and will provide vendors with practical guidance on navigating Virginia’s eVA procurement system, connecting with buyers, uncovering contracting opportunities, marketing effectively, and responding to bids and proposals. The series will culminate in April 2026 with an in-person Meet the Buyers event (date and location TBD), where attendees will have the opportunity to network directly with purchasing professionals from Radford University, Virginia Tech, the Virginia Community College System, and other area colleges and universities.
During Session 2 of the Big Opportunities.Bold Partnerships series you will have an opportunity to learn directly from the procurement teams at Virginia Tech and Radford University. In this session, buyers will share how their purchasing systems work, what they buy most often, and how small businesses can position themselves to compete. Participants will also hear practical tips on how to connect with university buyers and better understand their expectations.
Session Objectives:
- Provide an overview of the goods and services most frequently purchased by Virginia Tech and Radford University.
- Explain each university’s buying system and vendor engagement process.
- Provide a road map for applying best practices in initiating and maintaining relationships with buyers and aligning business offerings with institutional needs
If you have questions about this event, please contact Kathy Deacon directly by email at kathy.deacon@sbsd.virginia.gov.
