USDA BioPreferred Leads January, 2015 USDA Small Business Connections Session

The BioPreferred programs led a discussion on Opportunities for Small Businesses in the Bioeconomy in a January, 2015 USDA's Small Business Connections session. The Small Business connection is an outreach activity of USDA's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU).

Each month small businesses are invited to attend a meeting to network, learn from one another and make critical connections to help expand small businesses interactions with USDA.

Marie Wheat from the USDA BioPreferred program discussed the bioeconomy as an economic engine in the U.S., including data from a recently published economic study, "Why Biobased?"

Ms. Wheat also provided an overview of the USDA BioPreferred program including the mandatory biobased product purchasing requirements for federal agencies as well as the voluntary labeling initiative for biobased products. Also discussed were the program’s current BioPreferred program emphases on biobased intermediates that are used in creating finished products and complex products which are multi-component assembled products with one or more component being made with biobased material (such as an automobile).

During this event, small business representatives had an opportunity to ask questions about federal resources for small businesses within USDA and in other federal agencies.