What Are APEX Accelerators?
APEX Accelerators are local centers that coach businesses on selling to the government, usually at no cost. They were called PTACs until November 2022.
APEX Accelerators in plain English
Congress created the program in 1985 as the Procurement Technical Assistance Program. On November 7, 2022, the Defense Department renamed it APEX, and the Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) became APEX Accelerators. If an older article tells you to call your PTAC, it means your APEX Accelerator.
Each center is run by a nonprofit, government or tribal organization under an agreement with the Department of War (the Department of Defense), which pays part of the cost. Counselors help with SAM.gov registration, finding bids, market research, capability statements and proposals. They coach you, but they don't do the work for you, and nobody can promise you a contract.
You don't need to be a defense contractor, or even registered yet. Use the locator at apexaccelerators.us to find the center that serves your county.
Related terms
- SAM.gov: SAM.gov is the free official government website where businesses register to work with the federal government and agencies post contract opportunities.
- Capability statement: A capability statement is a one-page summary of your business for agencies and prime contractors: what you do, what sets you apart and your past work.
- OSDBU (Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization): An OSDBU (Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization) is a federal agency's small business office, and a good first contact at any agency.
- Sources sought notice: A sources sought notice is market research: an agency asks which businesses can do a job before it decides how to buy. Answering it isn't a bid.
Put it to work
Looking for another term? Browse the full glossary or the government contracting glossary guide.
Cyrus Hakimi writes and edits these definitions, using AI tools to help research and draft them, from the FAR, SBA rules and SAM.gov documentation. They're general information, not legal advice. Rules and thresholds change, so confirm the numbers on the official source before you act.