U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst will host her second annual Entrepreneur Expo at Iowa State in August after the first expo in September 2023 featured 31 federal agencies and departments where small businesses could meet with buyers and seek potential government contracts.

In an email including statements from several people to the Daily, Ernst said she is honored to help entrepreneurs and employers expand their networks.

“The federal government is the world’s largest buyer of goods and services, and I want all our small business owners in Iowa to have the opportunity to participate,” Ernst stated.

According to Ernst’s office, Ernst has introduced the Accountability and Clarity in Contracts to Engage Small Suppliers and Small Businesses Act, which aims to “prioritize small businesses in federal contracting” and “ensure that our country’s national security industrial base is upheld by many American small businesses.”

According to Ernst’s office, the bill would require government agencies to:

• Make federal notices easier to understand, requiring that they be written in plain language and mandating that key terms of the contract be included in the title or description.
• Measure the health and variety of small businesses supporting the industrial base.
• Ensure the participation of a broad spectrum of small businesses across industries.
• Limit “double-dipping” to meet goals by capping agencies’ ability to count the total contract award value two times only.
• Evaluate large prime contractor’s past use of small businesses as subcontractors prior to granting any awards.
• Testify before Congress when goals are not met.

Ames Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dan Culhane said he is proud to welcome the Ernst Entrepreneur Expo back to Ames.

“Last year, we saw firsthand how this positive initiative by Senator Ernst provided direct access to dozens of federal agencies for local business leaders from across Iowa, which can open new potential contracts, investments, and jobs,” Culhane stated.

Diana Kautzky, who served as president of Deaf Services Unlimited for 28 years until March, said she was honored to be a part of the first expo.

“The Expo provided a space and time where Iowa businesses could meet and connect with various federal agencies to explore how we can work together. Small business is such an integral part of our economy, and government needs what we have to offer,” Kautzky stated.

Jim Shelton, a 2023 expo attendee, “strongly” recommends the event to small business owners in Iowa.

“We’re building a tool to help military families, unit leaders, and senior commanders improve financial readiness. The Expo helped us learn a ton and sharpen our focus, and in the end, we were successful in getting a SBIR [small business innovation research] award,” Shelton stated.

The expo will take place at 8 a.m. on Aug. 6 in the Memorial Union.