Our live trainings, offer dynamic and interactive learning experiences designed to equip you with practical skills and actionable knowledge in real time. These sessions provide the opportunity to engage directly with APEX staff and industry experts, ask questions, and participate in discussions that deepen your understanding of government contracting topics. We hold most of our trainings online to offer maximum convenience, allowing participants to easily access valuable content without the need for travel.
Are you Ready?
If your business is pursuing or performing on Department of Defense contracts, you now need to be CMMC Level 1 compliant.
The Basics: As a federal government contractor, supplier, or vendor, you handle Federal Contract Information (FCI), and you must comply with the basic contractor cybersecurity requirements listed in the FAR 52.204-21 clause. As of November 10, 2025 contractors working in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) will have to complete a self-assessment and affirm they meet these requirements as part of a Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 1 self-assessment.
The Tennessee APEX Accelerator is offering a guided workshop series to help on your road to compliance.
Please Note: All four of these webinars are part of the series. They are not stand-alone modules - you may not register for only specific meeting dates of this cohort.
Learn more here: https://govology.com/tennessee-apex-accelerator-cmmc-l1-workshop/
COST: A one-time $200 technology fee is payable to Govology
Your local APEX Accelerator and the National APEX Accelerator Alliance (NAPEX) are excited to host the upcoming Small Business Administration (SBA) webinar on the SBA Bonding Program.
SBA’s Surety Bond Guarantee Program can help your business obtain bonding for projects up to $14 million! Join experts from the SBA Bonding Program to learn how they can help if your business has:
- Limited or no contracting experience,
- Difficulty qualifying for bonding, or
- The desire to increase current bond limits.
The SBA’s presentation will include an overview of contract bonds - what they are and what you need to know to qualify - and how SBA’s Surety Bond Guarantee Program can open doors to bonding for your small business by reducing barriers to increase your contracting opportunities.
Many CMMC challenges arise from misunderstandings around external service providers and shared responsibility. This session will clarify what contractors remain accountable for when using MSPs, cloud providers, and other third parties. Learn where gaps commonly occur and how to avoid assessment delays tied to external dependencies.
Offered in partnership with The Core Solution.
Music City Center, NBIC, UT CIS APEX Accelerator, present the Construction Opportunities Conference to be held at the Music City Center in Nashville, TN.
This is not your average conference.
The 2026 Construction Opportunities Conference is designed to be more than a room full of presentations—it’s an interactive experience built to create real connections and real opportunities for businesses in the construction industry.
During this conference, participants will have the chance to engage directly with buyers from large prime contractors and government agencies. These conversations provide valuable insight into upcoming projects, procurement processes, and how businesses can better position themselves for contracting opportunities.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions directly to an attorney, gaining clarity on topics such as contracts, compliance requirements, and legal considerations that impact construction businesses.
Networking from 8:30 to 9:00 AM EDT
WHAT THIS WORKSHOP DELIVERS
Most small business owners are running their operations without a written strategic direction, not because they lack ambition, but because they have never had a structured opportunity to step back and think clearly about priorities.
This workshop gives them that opportunity. In 60 minutes, each participant works through an honest situational scan, identifies their single highest-leverage priority for the next 90 days, and begins building a one-page strategic plan they can actually use. They leave with a committed next action, a named date, and a peer accountability partner from the room.
The session is interactive throughout, and anonymous live polling via Mentimeter surfaces the room's collective thinking on screen; a group scenario exercise warms up the diagnostic muscle before anyone has to look at their own situation, and questions are welcome at every transition rather than saved for a dead zone at the end.
Speaker: Trent Richardson, Founder & Principal, Hard Knox Life Advisory
Dr. Trent Richardson founded Hard Knox Life Advisory, where he helps small business owners move past guesswork and find their highest-leverage move. Before starting the firm, he built a federal career in high-consequence leadership, working through the Department of the Interior's reorganization after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. He later led the U.S. Geological Survey's natural hazards portfolio, including the launch of ShakeAlert, the nation's earthquake early-warning system now serving more than 50 million people across the West Coast. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Policy, and he believes good thinking beats a thick binder every time.
Offered by: TSBDC and Stephen W. Williams, Director of Workforce & Economic Development, Roane State Community College