One-on-One Matchmaking Business Sessions will be offered as a value-added opportunity to meet with buyers in special, pre-scheduled meetings with participating buyers during the DOE Summer '19 New Mexico Small Business Expo. This portion of the expo is limited in availability and is offered to small businesses registered for the expo on a first-come, first-served basis. One-on-One Matchmaking "matches" small businesses "Suppliers" with participating "Buyers" represented by DOE Program Offices, Laboratories, Site offices, other government agencies and large business Prime Contractors. One-on-One Matchmaking Business Sessions will take place on Wednesday, August 7, 2019 from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm.

How Does Matchmaking Work? How Do I Participate?

Register for the Conference - In order to participate in One-on-One Matchmaking, each individual must first register for the conference by completing the Attendee Registration (Click here to register). During the registration process, you will be asked if you would like to be a part of matchmaking. From the drop down menu, you can select "Buyer," "Supplier," or "Non-Participant."

As a supplier, you can upload your company's capability statement during the registration. Once your registration is completed, you will receive a confirmation e-mail.

As a buyer, you are able to select up to five (5) products/services categories and write a detailed description in the text box.

If you are a non-participant and decide to be a part of matchmaking after your registered, you can log back into the registration system with your username and password, click on the matchmaking tab and choose, "Buyer" or "Supplier."

Requesting Matchmaking Appointments -  Requests for matchmaking appointments will open on July 16, 2019 at 1:00 PM EST. You will receive an e-mail reminder the week of July 8 and again the morning of July 16. Before requesting a meeting, be sure to read the product/services the buyer is searching for. Click on the green plus (+) button to request the appointment. If you see a red minus (-) button, that means you have requested that time slot already and can click on the button to cancel it. You can periodically log back into the system to check if any time slots have opened up with the buyer you want to meet with. You can select up to three matchmaking appointments per attendee.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Appointment requests for the One-on-One Business Sessions fill up early. Be sure to request sessions with your Buyers as soon as you receive email notification that sign-up has begun.

Notification of Accepted/Declined Appointments from Buyer Suppliers: Buyers will be notified via e-mail on requested appointments by suppliers. Buyers will review capability statements before accepting or declining appointments. (Suppliers: Please be patient. Allow buyers ample time to review capability statements). Suppliers will be notified via e-mail on the buyer's decision to accept or decline appointments. If buyers decline your appointments, the buyer will state the reason why he/she declined.

Frequently Asked Questions About One-on-One Business Matchmaking

- How Long Are the Matchmaking Appointments?

Appointments are in 15-minute increments with a ten-minute break in between each appointment.

- How many appointments will I receive?

Each small business representative (supplier) is allowed three (3) appointments.

- What if I want to meet with other buyers?

You can stay outside of the matchmaking room to see if a buyer has an opening or you can check if the buyer is speaking at the expo.

- Can I register onsite?

Due to the preparation that will go into the individual attendance and participation in the One-on-One Matchmaking program, onsite registration will be accepted on case by case basis. We highly encourage individuals to select matchmaking when you register for the expo. We cannot guarantee if there will be any open appointments once the expo starts. We encourage small businesses who want to be part of matchmaking to stay in the matchmaking area as we will make announcements of buyers who may be willing to meeting with additional suppliers.

- Who are the buyers that are expected to attend?

DOE Program Offices, DOE Power Administrations, DOE National Laboratory, Site offices, prime contractors and other government agencies.

- How many from my firm can attend matchmaking?

We allow two representatives to meet with buyers per appointment but all representatives must be registered for the conference. 

- Will small businesses be awarded contracts during Procurement Matchmaking?

One-on-One Matchmaking provides unique opportunities for small businesses to meet with DOE buyers who are motivated to award contracts and sub-contracts to small businesses. While the program doesn't guarantee contracts, simply because of the nature of the normal bidding process between buyers and suppliers, it does create opportunities for small businesses to hold personal, one-on-one meetings with potential clients that would have taken weeks or months - if ever - to research and schedule on their own..

You can register for One-on-One Matchmaking as part of your conference registration.

For questions regarding One-on-One Matchmaking Business Sessions, please call 571-297-4035 or email us at InfoDOE@aetherquest.com.