What is a Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)?
Congress created the Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP) in 1985 to help businesses seeking to compete successfully in contracting with government agencies. PTAC's are funded through Cooperative agreements between DoD and a host agency (county governments, Small Business Development centers, universities are examples of some host agencies) and funded through the Defense Logistics Agency. Please visit the DLA website to learn more about the PTAC Program
What do I need to do to receive assistance from the PTAC?
To receive assistance from the PTAC you first need to sign up as a new client or you can call us at (716) 938-2331 or email us at ptac@cattco.org to initiate an initial consultation.
What does the PTAC charge for its services?
The Cattaraugus PTAC is funded through DLA And Cattaraugus County, we do not charge our clients for any of the services that we provide. There are times that we may reference other services if something is beyond our scope of focus or we may list events on our website that are hosted by other agencies that may be of interest to our clients that may charge fees.
What counties do you service?
The name Cattaraugus PTAC may be confusing to many potential clients. We are hosted and funded by Cattaraugus County government but we counsel businesses in 15 counties in New York State throughout the western and southern tier portions. Those counties include: Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Erie, Madison, Niagara, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga and Tompkins.
Where is my PTAC office located?
We are located at 303 Court St. Little Valley, NY 14755 at the Cattaraugus County Building on the 2nd floor. We ask that you please call our office to set an appointment to meet with one of our counselors at (716) 938-2331
Do I have to come to your offices for a counseling session?
No, since our office covers such a large service area we do not require that clients travel to our office for counseling sessions. We can arrange for a visit to your location or another location closer to you. We also do a lot of client counseling via telephone, email and virtually through Go To Meeting. Please keep in mind that with such a large service area we may not be able to schedule a meeting in your area immediately as we prefer to schedule multiple in each trip when visiting those businesses that are more than 50 miles from our office so we may ask for a phone meeting initially.
What helpful resource links can you provide?
While this list isn't exhaustive, you can find many helpful links at our eCenter website, https://cattco.ecenterdirect.com/resources .
Who does the federal government purchase from?
The federal government purchases from business of all sizes, located throughout the country, for all types of services – from professional services to commodities. Market research is an important first step before taking the leap into government contracting. We can assist you with market research to determine if there is a need for the products or services that your firm sells within the government space. Remember there are many layers of government to sell to, including Federal, State, County, Municipal, School Districts and thousands of Prime Contractors needing subcontractors!
Why do I have to pay to register in SAM?
YOU DON'T! There are a lot of companies out there that prey on businesses that struggle to register in SAM. Please call our office if you're in need of assistance with navigating this or any other contracting website, we will gladly help our clients through these processes. If you ever receive a request for money in exchange for assistance or a company that makes claims to "guarantee contracts" please contact our office first!