Officials announce opportunities for Tampa Bay businesses during Super Bowl LV
TAMPA, Fla. - There’s a lot of money on the line when Super Bowl LV comes to Raymond James Stadium in 2021 and the host committee announced an initiative Monday aimed at positioning Tampa Bay-area businesses for success.
The NFL handles Super Bowl business contracts through the Business Connect Program and officials launched the program in Tampa on Monday.
"Business Connect is a program based on opportunities -- opportunities for local diverse businesses to compete for Super Bowl contracts," said BJ Waymer, the director of NFL Business Connect.
According to a news release, the program will create opportunities for, "experienced, qualified and certified business owners" and officials are focusing on diversity and inclusiveness.
"When we kick off the Business Connect program here in Tampa...what we will do is be making it known to the wider business community that we are looking for women, minority, LGBTQ and veteran-owned businesses," Waymer said. "It is important to us that we are socially inclusive in our procurement process."
Business owners will be able to participate in networking and development workshops. A maximum of 300 companies from the Tampa Bay region will be chosen, as long as they meet requirements described on the host committee's website.
Buccaneers legend Derrick Brooks, now the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee Co-chair, said getting involved in this program can be a game-changer for small businesses.
"You change the narrative. You change the landscape. You change their capabilities and you open up visions. And those visions obviously can create opportunities not just here in the Bay Area, but beyond the Bay Area," Brooks said. "These resources only come around once so many years and I want to make sure we maximize that in our city here today."