The Gulf Coast Procurement Opportunities Conference & Matchmaker, an event to help small businesses interested in doing work with the government, will be Feb. 1 and 2, at the Mobile Marriott (3101 Airport Blvd., Mobile, AL 36606). More information is online at SouthAlabama.edu/sbdc.

On Monday, Feb. 1, several workshops related to government procurement will be presented. There is no charge to attend the workshops but registration in advance is encouraged due to space limitations. Workshops will include, among others, Doing Business with the GSA, Department of Transportation’s DBE Certification, Navigating the Internet to Find Procurement Opportunities and Doing Business with the City of Mobile.

The matchmaker will be Tuesday, Feb. 2, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Matchmakers are organized like speed dating and give small-business owners the opportunity to market their products and services one-on-one to many government agencies and prime contractors in a short amount of time. The cost to participate for businesses is $50 per person, which includes lunch.

Preregistration is required for the matchmaker because appointments are scheduled in advance. Meetings are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please register by Jan. 26. This year, payments can be made online through the University of Alabama. The link is on the website.

Some of the organizations planning to participate include: Alabama Department of Transportation, Alabama Division of Purchasing, Alabama Power Company, Austal USA, City of Mobile Procurement Department, Eglin Air Force Base, GSA Federal Acquisition Services, Hurlburt Field, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Maxwell Air Force Base, Missile Defense Agency, Marshall Space Center, Sanmina – SCI Defense & Aerospace Services, Southern Research Institute, Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion & Repair, USN, The Wave Transit System, Tyndall Air Force Base, US Army Corps of Engineers, US Army Engineering R&D Center, US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and USDA Forest Service.

The event is a combined effort of the Alabama SBDC Network’s PTAC Program, the Florida SBDC PTAC Program and the South Mississippi Contract Procurement Center. Additional support is provided by the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, the US Small Business Administration and the Alabama Department of Revenue.