Ohio Business Matchmaker event helps business owners network, learn more about government contracts

Chris McDevitt spent 10 years in the military, so when he launched his tech startup, Mansfield Technologies, in 2024, he figured he might have a leg up on others in securing lucrative government contracts. He was wrong.

“I have some institutional knowledge, but it was still tough,” he says. “I cannot imagine what it must be like for other small businesses that are new to the process.”

Mansfield Technologies specializes in the destruction and disposal of unwanted computer hardware, everything from desktop computers to USB thumb drives. McDevitt worked closely with Karen Wivell, a specialist at the Ohio APEX Accelerator at Ohio University, to prepare for the annual Ohio Business Matchmaker event held in late April in Dayton. 

The Matchmaker event is a networking and educational seminar co-sponsored by the Ohio APEX Accelerator at Ohio University, and hosted by the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, to help businesses navigate the complex process of securing government contracts. Approximately 500 attended this year, enabling roughly 1,520 meetings.

Image

This program has been wildly successful: In 2023, Ohio University’s APEX Accelerator helped Ohio businesses secure more than 8,600 government contracts, bringing in more than $1.6 billion in total revenue.

The contract process begins well before the Matchmaker event, with APEX Accelerator staff working with business owners to prepare a “capability statement," essentially a resume written in government-friendly language.

“The government uses a different language and numbers,” says Sharon Hopkins, director of the Ohio APEX Accelerator. “It’s vital to be able to demonstrate an understanding of what their needs are.”

The APEX Accelerator is open to any small business, but Hopkins notes that the most successful ones have a proven track record of delivering high-quality work.

“Government entities are risk-averse; they don’t want to do business with someone who might not be there in six months,” Hopkins says. “The plus side is that the government recognizes that small businesses can do things efficiently, and there's a lot of innovation within small businesses that could solve the government’s problems.”

The Matchmaker event is a two-day affair. The first session is geared towards education, featuring panels with small business professionals from the government and successful small business owners who share their experiences and offer tips to the several hundred attendees.

Image

Day two is a networking extravaganza, with scheduled appointments lasting a crisp 10 minutes and concluding with a free hour of unscheduled networking. In addition to the agencies that award contracts, ancillary businesses such as insurance and accounting firms specializing in government work are also present to assist business owners with the back-end aspects of their contract proposal.

For McDevitt, the Matchmaker event was an eye-opener in terms of who would become his clients.

“In 2024, the Columbus Housing Authority wanted to meet with me, which I was skeptical about,” he says. “But they have to know every data point about people to qualify them for public housing. They weren't even on my radar, but we did business last year with them.”

“For what the Matchmaker event costs ($175) and what I got out of it, it is easily the most bang for your buck out there,” McDevitt continues. “I cannot recommend it highly enough.”

More information on the APEX Accelerator program at Ohio University can be found here.