Last year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) spent nearly $5.5 billion dollars on contracts related to small businesses. Some $2.7 billion or 16.5 percent of total procurements involved direct contracts between small businesses and NASA. Another $2.8 of contracts were subcontracts with small businesses -- contracts between small business and large prime contractors servicing NASA. Even though those numbers are impressive, NASA wants to expand its small business contracting even more. NASA officials are traveling across the country to various big and small cities sponsoring programs called “Reaching High – Aerospace Business Matchmaker.” The conferences aim to stimulate regional economic growth by trying to match small businesses with either NASA directly or prime contractors doing business with NASA. Glenn Delgado, Associate Administrator of the Office of Small Business Programs at NASA helps coordinate these conferences. He says the conferences give NASA and other groups the opportunity to educate small business owners on some of the requirements and technicalities of doing business with NASA or a NASA prime contractor. On the second day of each conference, he notes, small business owners have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with NASA officials and representatives of prime contractors to see if there is a compatible match. NASA also partners with Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC) in a particular geographical area to help sponsor the conferences. Business opportunities are available in providing goods and services in mechanical and electrical engineering, IT infrastructure services, building maintenance, medical services, office supplies and equipment, office administrative services, testing laboratories, apparel, security and a large variety of other industries. For more information, visit http://aerospacematchmaker.com.