LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- The 19th Contracting Squadron recently hosted Little Rock Air Force Base’s first ever Pitch Day at the Jacksonville Community Center, June 3.
The event allowed small-business entrepreneurs in the local community to share unique insights on how to better support LRAFB and provide an avenue for resolving problems encountered by units across Team Little Rock with innovative solutions.
“We wanted to further the spirit of innovation at LRAFB and help solve problems and provide solutions to problems that we didn’t even know existed,” said Stephanie Gibbs, 19th CONS services team lead. “Under this acquisition process, contractors pitched solutions to problems that had been identified by TLR members that hindered productivity, efficiency or that challenged readiness of our national security.”
Prior to Pitch Day, the 19th CONS received 12 problem statements from across the installation. Of the 12 problem statements submitted, 10 were successfully resolved by sharing information from other units on base.
“The unresolved problems were solicited to contractors for them to provide solutions and proposals for each problem identified,” Gibbs said. “Out of 24 submissions from small businesses across the United States, six were invited to pitch their ideas during the event.”
Presentations were conducted in-person at the Jacksonville Community Center, however, they also offered the option to present virtually.
The solutions pitched ranged from a mobile scaffolding platform, laser lighting and de-icing solutions for the C-130, a materials handling solution, and a system to help emergency system platforms to better communicate, providing a way for LRAFB to obtain earlier dispatch communications from local municipalities to provide a quicker response to TLR in emergency situations.
“Our first Pitch Day was very successful,” Gibbs said. “We are hoping to make this something that LRAFB conducts on at least an annual basis, as it provides a great opportunity for us to try to bring in innovation and find ways to make the installation more efficient. Several of the pitches are currently being reviewed by our partners on base and may lead to an award in the near future.”
In addition to TLR’s inaugural Pitch Day, the 19th CONS also hosted various engagements for small-business entrepreneurs, including a live Q&A session as well as a workshop to educate vendors on how to register in the System for Award Management, which is a requirement to do business with the government.
Gibbs said the 19th CONS is interested in setting up a vendor fair in the future, where more small businesses will be invited to set up booths and allow TLR mission partners to peruse and interact with these vendors.
“We are extremely thankful for the support we received from our local partners, mission partners and to every vendor who participated in the event,” Gibbs said. “We look forward to taking our lessons learned and developing them into an even better event in the future.”