It’s often said that those who know better do better. On Sept. 12, small business representatives and young entrepreneurs who attended the fourth Internal Procurement Annual Supplier Showcase (iPASS) event learned the necessary tools to improve their partnerships with local school districts.  

Industry experts led sessions at the Irvington Conference Center on procuring goods and services for businesses using local and federal funds. Small business owners also received an opportunity to gain the exposure and resources needed to grow their businesses while discussing specific topics like grant writing and leveraging public/private partnerships, further setting the stage for community collaboration and greater access.   

Superintendent of Business Services Dr. Jesus Amezcua highlighted how attendees can utilize Harris County Department of Education, local school districts and charter schools to streamline the procurement processes. Additional iPASS featured speakers included representatives from the City of Houston Strategic Procurement Division, Alboum Translation Services, Amazon Business, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Office of the Governor – Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office.  

Nearly 100 small businesses attended the daylong supplier showcase, which was also live-streamed to the School Finance Council (SFC), comprised of school district finance officers from around the state.