Ohio University program helped businesses win $265 million in government contracts in 2015

The Ohio University Procurement Technical Assistance Center (OU PTAC) helped businesses in 55 counties receive 1,355 government contracts worth more than $265 million in 2015, according to a recently released 2015 annual report.

As of the end of 2015, the program had 815 active clients, assisting 424 new clients in 2015. The average value per contract increased to $195,824, up from $130,345 in 2014. This resulted in OU PTAC helping to create or retain 5,307 jobs.

“We certainly hope that we impact our clients by making them more profitable. We are also helping economic growth in the area and building wealth,” Sharon Hopkins, director of OU PTAC, said.

Since 2007, OU PTAC’s active client base has reached more than 4,000, with more than 9,000 contacts awarded totaling in excess of $1.3 billion.

In 2012 and 2013, OU PTAC opened offices in four new regions of the state, greatly expanding its reach and its ability to serve clients, Hopkins said. Instead of having each office focus only on the clientele in their geographic area, the offices have formed a network of expertise across the program. A client in Dayton may get assistance from someone at the OU PTAC at Akron who has the particular knowledge needed to procure a contract. Having this expansive network provides more experts in different government sectors and more advice available to clients.

OU PTAC, one of five PTAC programs in the state of Ohio, is part of a nationwide network of PTAC offices created by the U.S. Department of Defense to help businesses compete for federal, state and local government contracts. OU PTAC has been affiliated with Ohio University’s Voinovich School for Leadership and Public Affairs since 2002.

For further information, visit OU PTAC’s website at: www.ohio.edu/ptac or contact the center at ptac@ohio.edu