FORT STEWART, GA-The 904th Contracting Battalion recently executed a federal contracting workshop in partnership with the Savannah Chamber of Commerce. This initiative, a cornerstone of the battalion's business development efforts, attracted 74 small businesses interested in exploring opportunities within the federal marketplace. Conducted across two comprehensive sessions, the event drew a diverse cross-section of the local economy, ranging from construction, IT, and logistics to finance, medical services, and education.
Throughout the workshop, the battalion's acquisition professionals guided attendees through the entire Army contracting lifecycle, providing end-to-end instruction on essential steps from vendor registration to successful bidding and competition. A key focus was empowering new contractors by sharing actionable tips and highlighting common pitfalls, ensuring they are better equipped to navigate federal solicitations.
“Our goal was simple, take the mystery out of federal contracting and put real opportunity within reach for the businesses that make this region strong,” said Lt. Col. Stephen C. Lawson, 904th CBN Commander and Director, MICC FT Stewart. “When local industry succeeds, the Army’s mission readiness benefits right alongside it”
Both sessions culminated in dynamic, open Q&A forums, fostering direct, face-to-face engagement between business owners and the battalion contracting team. This direct dialogue not only demystified complex processes but also cultivated a more robust, informed, and competitive local vendor pool as well as allowed a venue for niche and specific questions that otherwise didn’t fit during the presentation’s Q&A.
The workshop received positive feedback, with the Savannah Chamber of Commerce lauding it as their best-reviewed event of the year. By reaching out beyond the immediate garrison footprint to vendors across greater Savannah, and southern Georgia area, the 904th CBN significantly broadened its engagement with the regional industrial base.
This success prompted an immediate request for the 904th Contracting Battalion to return on a recurring basis, solidifying a working relationship that promises to strengthen both mission readiness and the local economy.
Located at Fort Stewart, Ga., 904th CBN is aligned under the 419th Contracting Brigade, U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, and is committed to fostering strategic partnerships, ensuring that the Army's contracting needs are met while simultaneously fueling growth within the community. Among the units supported by the battalion are the 3rd 3 Infantry Division, the 3rd Infantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade, 92nd Engineer Battalion, Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield Garrisons, Winn Army Community Hospital, and the 188th Infantry Brigade.
About the MICC Headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, theMission and Installation Contracting Commandcomprises about 1,500 military and civilian members who are responsible for contracting goods and services in support of Soldiers as well as readying trained contracting units for the operating force and contingency environment when called upon. A subordinate command of the Army Contracting Command and the Army Materiel Command, MICC contracts are vital in feeding more than 200,000 Soldiers every day, providing many daily base operations support services at installations, facilitate training in the preparation of more than 100,000 conventional force members annually, training more than 500,000 students each year, and maintaining more than 14.4 million acres of land and 170,000 structures.