Statewide contracts program brings in $206 million

A statewide program to help businesses gain federal, state and local contracts has netted more than $206 million in such contracts over the past fiscal year, creating more than 4,000 jobs across the state.
 
The results of the contracts program, called the Procurement Technical Assistance Program or PTAP, were released during today’s annual meeting of the SouthEastern Connecticut Enterprise Region, held at the Radisson Hotel in New London. SeCTer houses the statewide PTAP agency at its New London headquarters on Gov. Winthrop Boulevard.
 
The PTAP program based the contract results on its fiscal year ending Sept. 30 of this year. Since the PTAP program’s inception in 1993, it has helped its clients gain federal, state and local contracts of nearly $2.2 billion, resulting in the creation or retention of more than 43,000 jobs statewide.
 
During the annual meeting, John Markowicz, who is SeCTer’s executive director, said his regional economic development agency’s financial condition remains sound, despite continuing economic uncertainties.
 
He said his agency is moving ahead to prepare an updated version of its Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, or CEDS, which was completed in 2004. The strategy serves as an economic blueprint for the southeastern Connecticut region. Nearly all of the “action items” that were contained in the first comprehensive report have been completed over the past six years.
 
Markowicz said an updated economic development strategy will become an essential element in allowing this region to become an Economic Development District. The districts were created through state legislation to encourage a more regional approach to economic development across Connecticut’s 169 municipalities.