On March 17, 2021, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory hosted a “Doing Business with Your National Labs” event in partnership with Argonne National Lab. The event drew nearly 200 diverse small business leaders who came to hear about how to prepare and submit proposals for contracts, as well as some key opportunities that exist for suppliers located throughout Chicagoland and Illinois.
The event included remarks from Argonne National Lab Director Paul Kearns, Fermilab Director Nigel Lockyer, lab chief financial officers as well as procurement specialists who delivered more focused presentations on opportunities and resources available to suppliers to do business with the two Department of Energy National Labs in the Chicagoland area.
In addition to diversifying and expanding its local supplier base, Fermilab’s vision includes building a robust talent pipeline. In 2020, the lab established a presence in the University of Chicago’s Harper Court collaborative space, bringing many of the lab’s resources to the city. Harper Court provides a space for Fermilab to engage local talent and increase opportunities in STEM for an increasingly diverse workforce. Harper Court is located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago’s south side, one of the most vibrant, creative, and diverse areas in the city.
More information on doing business with Fermilab can be found here.
Jimmy McLeod focuses on diversity outreach and workforce development for Fermilab. He was one of the coordinators for this business opportunities event, held to expand and diversify Fermilab’s presence within the small business community.
Fermilab is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.