VALDOSTA – The Southern Georgia Black Chambers recently hosted a highly impactful “How to Do Business with the State of Georgia” workshop, marking the third consecutive year of collaboration with the Georgia Department of Administrative Services.

Held at the Southside Library in Valdosta Wednesday, May 21, the event brought vital information directly to small business owners across South Georgia, including those who joined virtually.

The workshop featured Julian Bailey, manager for the State’s Small Business Supplier Diversity Initiative, alongside her colleague Chrystal Langley, a certification specialist. SGBC President and Chief Executive Officer DeWayne Johnson emphasized the long-standing commitment of DOAS to travel to South Georgia, highlighting the critical need for accessible resources and information in the region. 

“One of the first conversations I had upon having the honor of meeting Mrs. Bailey was asking her if she could come down to South Georgia because we don’t get shown the resources and the information related to these opportunities,” Johnson said.

A key focus of the session was the Georgia Business Certification Program, which was officially launched on Jan. 2, 2022, following Gov. Kemp’s signing of House Bill 128 in April 2023. This legislative action expanded state certification to include minority-owned, women-owned and veteran-owned businesses, aiming for a more streamlined process and improved access to contract and bid opportunities.

“Don’t be surprised if in our next progress report you see a picture of yourself from this workshop. We do capture what we’re doing to include in the progress report to the governor’s office,” mentioned Bailey, highlighting the direct connection between the workshop attendees’ participation with the program’s progress reporting to the governor’s office and underscoring the tangible impact of their attendance.

Attendees learned that while the state of Georgia currently has no set-aside programs for state funds, the DOAS program aims to make the procurement process easier for certified small businesses. Chrystal Langley, dubbed the “certification queen” by Bailey, detailed the streamlined, free, and online application process. She emphasized that businesses must first be certified by one of six approved partner organizations – including GDOT (which offers free DBE certification), GMSDC, WeBank, NVBDC, SBA (also free) or USPAACC – before applying to DOAS.

“Our certification is streamlined,” Langley added. “It’s very easy. It’s not what you did when you went through GDOT or SBA or all the other ones, we only ask for two documents”.

Langley also clarified that the DOAS certification itself is free and requires only two documents: the certificate/letter from the partner organization and current corporate or personal tax documents. 

She stressed the importance of correctly selecting NIGP codes in the Team Georgia Marketplace profile to receive relevant bid alerts, as this is how businesses are matched with solicitation opportunities. For robust tracking, businesses were advised to register with their Tax Identification Number rather than a Social Security mumber.

Bailey shared a significant benefit for certified businesses: Prime contractors who use DOAS-certified subcontractors may qualify for a state income tax incentive. She noted that this program is relatively new, with the first report to the Department of Revenue submitted in December 2024. Furthermore, DOAS is actively developing an informal bidding process, anticipated for the next fiscal year, which will make bids up to $100,000 available specifically to certified companies.

Attendees were also informed about the upcoming transition from Team Georgia Marketplace to a new centralized ERP system called Jagger Sourcing Director, effective around Oct. 1. All current TGM registrants’ information will migrate and new businesses will need to register in Jagger.

The workshop provided valuable direct access to state officials, empowering South Georgia small business owners with the knowledge to navigate state procurement and leverage certification for growth. The Southern Georgia Black Chambers remains committed to facilitating these vital connections and bringing essential resources to its members and the broader community.