LIVE TRAINING

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.

Join us for an exclusive opportunity to connect directly with major federal prime contractors and the Department of Energy's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (DOE OSDBU). This half-day event is designed specifically for construction firms seeking to expand their federal contracting portfolio.

This session brings together representatives from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), UCOR, Y-12 National Security Complex, and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). You'll gain insider knowledge on how each organization procures construction services and what they're looking for in sub-contractors and partners.

• Direct Procurement Insights: Hear from procurement representatives at ORNL, UCOR, Y-12, and TVA about their specific construction needs and how to position your business for success
• Critical Compliance Requirements: Navigate cybersecurity requirements, Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) regulations, FAR Part 19 updates, and bonding essentials
• Winning Strategies: Master proposal writing and capture planning techniques that win federal construction contracts
• Real Success Stories: Learn from contractors who've successfully broken into the federal construction market
• One-on-One Networking: Connect directly with prime contractors and exhibitors during dedicated networking time

***Limited Seating available, registration is required.

Matchmaking

To be considered for potential matchmaking meetings in the afternoon, send your capability statement to jutta.bangs@tennessee.edu.  

Who Should Attend

This event is ideal for construction contractors, subcontractors, specialty trades, and suppliers interested in federal contracting opportunities, particularly those supporting DOE facilities and related federal projects.

Co-sponsored by the Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) at Roane State Community College. 

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