Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary

El Paso Community College (EPCC) received a $709,851.13 Cooperative Agreement from the Office of the Secretary of Defense under the Procurement Technical Assistance For Business Firms program (CFDA 12.002), effective May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027. Under this award, EPCC will establish and maintain an APEX Accelerator center to provide free procurement technical assistance to business entities, including newly established firms, seeking to participate in federal, state, and local government contracting. The center will deliver comprehensive counseling, training, and technical guidance to help businesses navigate government procurement processes, identify contracting opportunities, and develop competitive proposals.

The APEX Accelerator center will serve as a regional resource supporting diverse businesses of all sizes, with particular emphasis on minority-owned firms and enterprises located in underserved areas. Services will strengthen the domestic supply chain by enabling broader business participation in government contracting across all levels of government, consistent with the Department of Defense's strategic objective of building a strong and sustainable U.S. supply chain through expanded private sector engagement in federal procurement.