Ohio Apex Accelerator At Ysu

What Ohio Apex Accelerator At Ysu does

The Ohio APEX Accelerator at Youngstown State University is a federally authorized procurement technical assistance center that provides free, one-on-one counseling and training to small businesses seeking to sell products and services to federal, state, and local government agencies. The program is operated in partnership with YSU's Williamson College of Business Administration and serves small businesses across Trumbull, Mahoning, and Columbiana counties in northeast Ohio. The organization was originally established in 1985 under the federal PTAC (Procurement Technical Assistance Program) created by Congress, partnered with YSU in 2016, and rebranded to its current APEX Accelerator identity in 2023 to emphasize innovation, ingenuity, and resilient supply chains.

The program's core service portfolio is organized around the government contracting lifecycle and includes Business Readiness services (DUNS, NAICS, SAM registration, certification preparation, capability statements, and DFARS/NIST 800-171 cybersecurity compliance), Research and Opportunities services (bid searches, agency needs analysis, market strategy, and matchmaking), Proposal Writing and Invoicing services (solicitation and proposal review, WAWF invoicing guidance, and contract compliance), and Government Innovation services supporting SBIR/STTR programs. A differentiated offering is the Ohio Procurement Internship Program (OPIP), a 13-week program connecting procurement-trained students with Ohio small businesses. Technology utilization is centered on existing government systems including SAM.gov, WAWF, DSIP, and SPRS rather than proprietary software.

The business model is a government-funded nonprofit structure with no commercial revenue from clients; all consulting, workshops, and assistance are provided at no cost to small businesses. Primary funding flows through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense, with supplementary support from the Ohio Department of Development (notably OPIP wage reimbursements of up to $5,000 per placement) and in-kind institutional support from Youngstown State University. Go-to-market is relationship-driven, leveraging direct outreach, the Ohio SBDC partnership, YSU communications channels, matchmaker events, podcast appearances, and a digital content presence on LinkedIn and YouTube to generate referrals and awareness within the regional business community.

Name

Ohio Apex Accelerator At Ysu

Legal name

Ohio APEX Accelerator at YSU

Website

https://apex-ysu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Ohio APEX Accelerator at Youngstown State University is a federally funded nonprofit that provides free counseling and resources to small businesses in northeast Ohio seeking to pursue and manage federal, state, and local government contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Youngstown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Funding (DoD Cooperative Agreement): The Ohio APEX Accelerator at YSU is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense. The program provides free services to small businesses seeking government contracting opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ohio APEX Accelerator at YSU is a government-funded Procurement Technical Assistance Center that provides free one-on-one counseling and advisory services to small businesses seeking to enter or expand within the federal, state, and local government contracting marketplace. Services span the full procurement lifecycle, including business registration (SAM, DUNS, NAICS), certification preparation (MBE, VBE, WBE, EDGE), bid identification, proposal writing and review, contract compliance, invoicing, and SBIR/STTR program assistance.

Product overview

Ohio APEX Accelerator at YSU is a service-based consulting organization, not a software product company. It provides a unified portfolio of government contracting advisory services structured around the procurement lifecycle. The core offering consists of consulting and support across four main areas: Business Readiness (registration, certifications, capability statements, cybersecurity compliance), Research and Opportunities (bid searches, market analysis, networking), Proposal Writing and Invoicing (solicitation review, workflow guidance, compliance), and Government Innovation (SBIR/STTR support). Supporting these is the Ohio Procurement Internship Program (OPIP), which connects students with small businesses. All services are delivered through personalized one-on-one counseling, workshops, and training programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Government Contracting Counseling and Consulting Services Free one-on-one counseling and advisory services helping small businesses in Trumbull, Mahoning, and Columbiana counties navigate government contracting across the procurement lifecycle, from initial SAM registration through proposal submission and contract compliance.
• Education and Training Programs Free workshops and the Fundamentals of Government Contracting course to help businesses master rules, regulations, and processes of government procurement.
• Ohio Procurement Internship Program (OPIP) 13-week internship program (12 paid weeks plus 1 optional unpaid vacation week) that connects procurement-trained students with Ohio small businesses to support government contracting goals, with up to $5,000 wage reimbursement provided by the Ohio Department of Development.
• Government Innovation Services (SBIR/STTR) Specialized support for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, including opportunity identification, topic analysis, proposal preparation, and contract compliance guidance.

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, important and supporting.

• Youngstown State University (Williamson College of Business Administration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary host institution for the Ohio APEX Accelerator. The program is located within WCBA and leverages university resources, student talent, and educational programs. This partnership, established in 2016, allowed APEX to leverage education and skills of interns while providing real-world educational opportunities.
• Ohio SBDC at YSUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Ohio Small Business Development Center at YSU enables integrated business assistance services. Located alongside APEX at WCBA, sharing resources and expertise.
• Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI)importantStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner that introduced JuggerBot 3D to the Ohio APEX Accelerator. YBI supports startups and emerging companies in the Mahoning Valley region.
• Parallax (APEX Initiative)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided additional support to Engineered Products of Ohio (EPI) alongside APEX assistance during their SBIR Phase I award period.
• Ohio Department of DevelopmentimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides up to $5,000 wage reimbursement to companies participating in the Ohio Procurement Internship Program upon successful completion.
• Ohio APEX Accelerators (Statewide Network)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ohio APEX Accelerator at YSU is part of a statewide network of APEX Accelerators, with the Ohio Department of Development serving as the state-level coordinating entity.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• GovWin (Deltek): GovWin is a commercial government contracting intelligence and opportunity-tracking platform used by SMBs and primes. While Ohio APEX at YSU counsels clients on contracting strategy, GovWin provides the underlying data and analytics tools those clients use during their pursuit process.
• BidNet (Onvia): BidNet is a government bid aggregation and distribution platform serving state, local, and federal agencies. Ohio APEX at YSU helps clients find and pursue these opportunities, and BidNet provides the marketplace infrastructure where many of those solicitations are posted.

Direct peers

• Ohio APEX Accelerators Statewide Network: Ohio APEX Accelerators is the statewide network of APEX centers coordinated by the Ohio Department of Development. Each center provides the same core procurement technical assistance as Ohio APEX at YSU but covers different Ohio geographies, making them the most direct operational peers.
• America's SBDC (Small Business Development Center Network): America's SBDC is the national network of Small Business Development Centers providing free advisory and training services to small businesses. It mirrors Ohio APEX Accelerator at YSU's model of free, government-backed consulting to help SMBs navigate complex growth and compliance processes.
• SCORE Association: SCORE is a nonprofit network of volunteer business mentors offering free counseling and workshops to small businesses. Like Ohio APEX Accelerator at YSU, SCORE delivers free, advisor-driven business support services funded through public-private partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): The SBA is the federal agency overseeing small business support programs including SBDCs, SCORE, and women's business centers. It is a broader incumbent that funds and coordinates many of the same advisory services Ohio APEX Accelerator at YSU provides, but at a national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4xtEaPByLIluk_Dfe2aVPA/about
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apex-ysu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Ohio Apex Accelerator At Ysu