Louisiana APEX Accelerator

What Louisiana APEX Accelerator does

Louisiana APEX Accelerator is a government-funded procurement technical assistance center operated as a university research division of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Established in 1989 under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense Defense Logistics Agency, with Louisiana Economic Development as a cost-share stakeholder, the organization provides free one-on-one counseling and training to Louisiana-based small businesses pursuing federal, state, and local government contracts. Its core services span SAM registration, NAICS classification, bid opportunity identification across more than 3,500 bid sites, socio-economic certification assistance (HUBZone, SBA 8(a), WOSB, EDWOSB, VOSB, SDVOSB, DBE, SDB), proposal preparation and review, marketing support (capability statements, elevator speeches), subcontracting support, post-award administration, and specialized disaster recovery contracting assistance for hurricane season. The center serves 54 of Louisiana's 64 parishes through a network of regionally assigned counselors delivering services in-person at the Lafayette headquarters or remotely via telephone and Zoom.

Name

Louisiana APEX Accelerator

Legal name

Louisiana APEX Accelerator

Website

https://apex.louisiana.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Louisiana APEX Accelerator is a government-funded procurement technical assistance center operated by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, providing free one-on-one counseling to Louisiana-based small businesses pursuing federal, state, and local government contracts across 54 of 64 parishes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Procurement Technical Assistance Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

Keywords

• Procurement technical assistance
• Government contracting support
• Small business counseling
• Bid matching services
• Certification assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Lafayette

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. No Revenue Generation: LA APEX Accelerator is a non-profit government procurement technical assistance center funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Services are provided at no charge to Louisiana-based businesses. The organization does not generate revenue from its clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Louisiana APEX Accelerator is a government-funded Procurement Technical Assistance Center that provides free, one-on-one counseling and training to Louisiana-based small businesses seeking federal, state, and local government contracts. Core services include SAM registration assistance, socio-economic certification support (HUBZone, 8(a), WOSB, VOSB, DBE), bid opportunity identification across 3,500+ bid sites, proposal preparation and review, marketing tools such as capability statements, training seminars, subcontracting support, and post-award administration assistance. Services are delivered at no charge by assigned regional counselors covering 54 of Louisiana's 64 parishes.

Product overview

LA APEX Accelerator is a procurement technical assistance center that serves Louisiana businesses seeking government contracts at federal, state, and local levels. The organization operates as a single, unified service offering centered on government contracting counseling and support. Its core services include SAM registration assistance, NAICS code classification, bid opportunity identification through searches in over 3,500 bid sites, certification application assistance (HUBZone, SBA 8(a), WOSB, VOSB, DBE), state purchasing support (LaPAC, Hudson Initiative, LaVet, SEBD), proposal preparation and review, marketing tools (capability statements, elevator speeches), training seminars, subcontracting support, and post-award administration assistance. The organization also provides specialized disaster recovery contracting assistance. Services are delivered through assigned counselors covering 54 of Louisiana's 64 parishes, with no charge to Louisiana-based businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Government Contracting Technical Counseling One-on-one individual counseling sessions with LA APEX Accelerator counselors providing guidance on government contracting, bid proposals, and navigating federal, state, and local procurement processes for Louisiana-based small businesses.
• SAM Registration Assistance Counselors assist clients with System for Award Management (SAM) registration, the federal procurement database required for all entities doing business with the federal government.
• Certification Application Assistance Counselors assist clients with socio-economic certification applications including HUBZone, SBA 8(a), WOSB, EDWOSB, VOSB, SDVOSB, and DBE certifications through SBA.
• Bid Opportunity Identification Bid lead searches conducted across over 3,500 bid sites located internationally, nationally, and statewide. Counselors set up search criteria based on keywords (NAICS, FSC, PSC codes) and geographic location.
• Proposal Preparation and Review Hands-on assistance with reading, understanding, and responding to government solicitations, including proposal preparation and review services for Louisiana small businesses.
• Training Events and Seminars Educational seminars and training events on government contracting procedures, requirements, and best practices for Louisiana small businesses.
• Disaster Recovery Contracting Assistance Specialized assistance helping Louisiana businesses compete for disaster response and recovery contracts during hurricane season (June 1 - November 30).
• Networking and Matchmaking Events Events connecting small businesses with government agencies and prime contractors, including LSU Diversity Supplier events and similar matchmaking opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• $8.6 billion in government contract awards received by clients since 1989
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• State of Louisiana (Governor's Office)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 September 2023Governor John Bel Edwards proclaimed September 18 as LA APEX Accelerator Day, recognizing the organization's contributions to Louisiana businesses since 2009.
• Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC)coreOthers · 6 April 2022National professional organization of 96 PTACs sponsored by Defense Logistics Agency. LA APEX Program Manager Cynthia Carrier serves as APTAC Region 8 Director. Provides training, networking, and national presence for policy advocacy.
• U.S. Department of Defense / Defense Logistics AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989Primary funding partner through cooperative agreement. DLA sponsors the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) program nationwide. LA APEX Accelerator was established in 1989 with this cooperative agreement to increase DoD, federal, state, and local government contracts coming into Louisiana.
• University of Louisiana at LafayettecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989Host organization for LA APEX Accelerator. Originally established as University of Southwest Louisiana in 1989 cooperative agreement. The center is located at the LITE Center on the UL Lafayette campus.
• Louisiana Economic Development (LED)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989Cost-share stakeholder providing economic development support. Assists LA APEX Accelerator in stimulating the economy and increasing competitiveness and profitability of Louisiana businesses.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SCORE: National nonprofit providing free business mentoring, training, and resources to small businesses, funded in part by SBA. Overlaps with LA APEX in free counseling and educational programming for entrepreneurs, though SCORE's scope is broader (general business) versus APEX's procurement-specific focus.
• Small Business Development Centers (SBDC): SBA-funded network of small business assistance providers offering free consulting and training. While SBDCs cover broader topics (marketing, finance, strategy), they compete for the same client pool of Louisiana small businesses and frequently refer clients to LA APEX for procurement-specific needs.
• Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Centers: Federal program providing technical assistance to minority-owned businesses, including procurement support and certification navigation. Directly competes with LA APEX for socio-economically disadvantaged Louisiana business clients seeking 8(a), DBE, and similar certifications.
• Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC): SBA program offering business development assistance to veteran entrepreneurs, including VOSB/SDVOSB certification support and government contracting training. Directly competes with LA APEX for the veteran-owned small business client segment in Louisiana.
• Texas APEX Accelerator: Neighboring state PTAC operating under the same Defense Logistics Agency cooperative agreement and APEX Accelerators banner. Delivers identical procurement technical assistance services (SAM registration, bid matching, certification, proposal prep) to Texas-based small businesses.
• Women's Business Centers (WBC): SBA-funded centers providing business training and counseling specifically to women entrepreneurs, including WOSB/EDWOSB certification assistance. Overlaps directly with LA APEX's WOSB certification support and proposal services for the same Louisiana female-owned business segment.
• Northwest Louisiana APEX Accelerator: Sister APEX Accelerator covering the remaining 10 of 64 Louisiana parishes. Operates the same DLA-funded PTAC model with the same service portfolio (counseling, bid matching, certification assistance), making it the closest structural twin in the same geography.

Emerging players

• GovWin (Deltek): Commercial subscription platform providing government contract intelligence, bid matching, and market analysis. Represents the private-sector alternative to LA APEX's free bid lead searches across 3,500+ bid sites, offering more sophisticated data tools for businesses willing to pay.
• FedBiz Access: Commercial government contracting consulting firm offering bid matching, proposal writing, and SAM registration services for a fee. Represents the for-profit competitive threat to LA APEX's free counseling model, particularly for Louisiana businesses with more sophisticated procurement needs.

Broad incumbents

• Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC): National professional association of 96 PTACs sponsored by DLA. As the institutional umbrella under which LA APEX operates, APTAC provides training, certification (CPP), policy advocacy, and best-practice sharing that LA APEX counselors leverage and contribute to.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/louisiana_apex
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@louisianaapex
• Facebookfacebook.com/louisianaapex
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/louisianaapex
• Instagraminstagram.com/louisianaapex

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Louisiana APEX Accelerator