Puerto Rico companies land $563M in federal contracts
The Federal Contracting Center (FeCC) office of Puerto Rico’s Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC, in Spanish) announced that between Oct. 1, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2023, nearly $563 million in federal contracts were awarded to 456 companies on the island.
These companies operate in sectors including accommodations and food services, administrative services, agriculture, forestry, fishing, arts, entertainment and recreation, construction, educational services, finance and insurance, health care, and social assistance.
The list also includes companies in such fields as information services, manufacturing, technical services, public administration, real estate, rental, transportation, storage, utilities and wholesale trade.
These businesses received services from the FeCC, an APEX Accelerator, which seeks to increase the number of firms that participate in government contracts.
“The FeCC’s mission is to position companies as qualified bidders in the federal and state government market. So the services they offer are through individualized consulting and training. They are free, which is of great benefit to our businesses,” DDEC Secretary Manuel Cidre explained.
As part of its services, the FeCC will host two events to “strengthen ties between organizations and prepare companies to offer their products to the federal government,” said FeCC Administrator Pedro J. Acevedo.
The first is a roundtable to discuss the opportunities and challenges in federal contracting with the participation of representatives from the DDEC, the Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association (PRMA), the United Retailers Association (CUD, in Spanish), the College of Engineers and Surveyors, Associated General Contractors, the federal government and the FeCC, Acevedo said.
The second event is APEX Day 2023, an open house that will take place at the DDEC’s theater in Hato Rey on Thursday, Oct. 12, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Attendees will receive information about the federal government and advisory and incentive services provided by the DDEC.
The event includes workshops from the Business Development Office, Business Incentives Office, Permits and Endorsements Management Office (OGPe, in Spanish), Labor Connection Program, and Trade and Export Program.
