A critical part of the OPEN For Government Contracts: Victory in ProcurementSM for Small Business program is the partnerships. American Express OPEN has partnered with SCORE, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) and Business Matchmaking to deliver unique and valuable government contracting resources for business owners. The partner initiatives are committed to helping business owners capture the 23% of government contracts¹ set aside for business owners through the VIP program.

Partner: Business Matchmaking
Business Matchmaking (BMM) is the nation's premier public-private initiative supporting procurement opportunities for small business in every industry. During the past six years, BMM has facilitated more than 75,000 face to face small business/buyer meetings and enabled several billions of dollars in government and major corporate contracts being awarded. Participating small companies are mostly minority, women and veteran owned firms. http://www.businessmatchmaking.com.

Program: Teaming USA
Teaming USA^SM, a program of American Express OPEN® and Business Matchmaking, helps small business owners across America join forces to win. Teaming USA provides the tools and inside tips to successfully team up with other small business owners to win contracts and is free of charge to all small business owners. OPEN® and Business Matchmaking are proud to help small businesses—including certified—strengthen and diversify the U.S. economy and future. Visit http://www.teamingusa.com for more information.

Partner: SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE "Counselors to America’s Small Business" has helped more than 8.3 million aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners through counseling and business workshops. More than 11,200 volunteer business counselors in 370 chapters serve their communities through entrepreneur education dedicated to the formation, growth and success of small businesses. For more information about starting or operating a small business, call 1-800-634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you. Visit SCORE on the Web at http://www.score.org.

Partner: Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP)
Women Impacting Public Policy is a national bi-partisan group comprising over half a million members. The non-profit organization is the public policy voice for 45 national Women in Business groups and is The Voice for Women in Business in Our Nation’s Capital. WIPP strengthens its members’ sphere of influence in the legislative process, creates economic opportunities for members and builds alliances with other small business organizations. Visit http://www.wipp.org.

Program: Give Me 5
Give Me 5, a program between American Express OPEN and WIPP, aims to educate as many as 100,000 women each year on the opportunities available through federal contracts—and enroll up to 5,000 women a year on the Central Contract Registration database. Through seminars, events and online resources, Give Me 5 breaks down the process of applying for federal contracts. Visit http://www.giveme5.com/ for more information

Program: Join The Supplier Diversity Program
If you are a diverse supplier who would like an opportunity to become a vendor to American Express, join our award-winning diversity program. Discover how your organization may potentially provide goods and services to American Express here.