Who we are

Contact us at (833) 4 VET-BIZ

The NJ State Veterans Chamber of Commerce is a 501c6 non-profit organization that is focused on improving the economic environment for veterans and military spouses. It is open to all veteran owned businesses with a mission focused on education, veteran business advocacy, networking, procurement and supplier diversity events. Our goal is to make New Jersey’s economy fairer to veteran owned and service connected veteran owned businesses, as well as veteran job creation.

The NJ State Veterans Chamber of Commerce will conduct events throughout the year to enhance procurement and contracting opportunities for veteran run enterprises. Educational programs will include:

· Access to capital

· How to respond to RFPs

· Navigating business rules and compliance in New Jersey

· Public sector procurement expo’s

· Private sector supplier diversity events

· Veteran job hiring fairs

· Effective social media campaigns

· Improving your marketing efforts

· Getting certified with the federal government

· Contracting opportunities available on Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst

· How to access business incubator space for veteran businesses

· Access to innovation labs

· Refining your business plan

· Networking with industry professionals

· Sharing of best practice

Our Current Priorities

• Fix the 3% set-aside law for SDVOBs (PL 2015 Ch.116)

There was a unanimous vote of all law makers in the Assembly & Senate to set-aside 3% of all state contracts to service disabled veteran owned businesses. To date, not one dollar has been awarded to a service disabled veteran owned business.

• Passage of a 10% Price Preference Law

Establishes a price preference for all SDVOBs of 15% so that SDVOBs can compete in the open bid process.

• Universal registration for the state

There are way too many registration portals to register with (NJ Start, NJ Turnpike Authority, Schools Development Authority, DOT, DPMC, PANYNJ, etc.) We need one universally accepted registration portal.

• Subcontracting goals for VOBs & SDVOBs

New York State has already implemented this with a 6% goal for Service disabled veteran owned businesses. We need to change the mindset in the state of buying big.

• Buy Veteran Campaign

Create a desire for public & private entities to buy from veteran businesses.

• NJ Veteran-Friendly Municipality Program

Establishes a program for municipalities & counties who want to achieve this designation, to have a goal of 6% for municipal /county contracts go to disabled veteran owned businesses, strive to attain a veterans hiring rate of 5% or greater, establish specialty parking in the municipality/county for veterans, & special hours for services for veterans, or waiving of fees for veterans for certain programs.

• Mentorship program for veteran businesses

Use successful businesses that have cracked the code of doing business with the state or federal government as mentors to businesses just starting out with veteran entrepreneurs at the helm.

• Online listing of all VOBs & SDVOBs in the NJSVCC

Allows public & private sector procurement personnel to see what type of veteran businesses are available in the state. Makes it easy for them to find businesses for subcontracting goals or prime contracts.

• Conduit for business opportunities

Email blasts, seminars, networking opportunities

• Expand entrepreneurship opportunities for veterans

Work with institutes of higher learning to establish continued and advanced learning with the purpose of driving results for their businesses

• Conduct a veterans hiring event across public & private sectors

Get veterans and their spouses meaningful employment through new and innovative ways that will have more success than a traditional hiring fair

• Expand the Vets in Tech program

To drive the innovation economy and be able to access the innovation labs across the state.

• Expand veteran focused business incubators throughout the state

We currently have one operational in Newark and will hopefully add one soon in Camden and hopefully more to follow.

• Establish good lines of Communication

Between state government agencies, and branches of government as well as connecting the public sector to the private sector

• Work with state agencies & lenders to improve access to capital

Continue working with EDA & NJ BAC to help veteran businesses gain access to capital and implement greatly needed programs to ease the way forward to borrowing money for business expansion