Small businesses looking to compete for City of Tacoma contracts can meet face-to-face with lenders from Chase Bank, BECU, and KeyBank at a free workshop on August 26.

The event, called "Capital Ready: Preparing Businesses for Growth in Public Contracting," runs from 4 to 6 p.m. at Edison Square, 5415 South Tacoma Way, according to a city announcement.

The city's Equity in Contracting Program is hosting a panel discussion that will cover financing readiness, working capital, lender expectations, and funding solutions for equipment purchases and contract performance, the city said.

Attendees can also learn about common barriers to obtaining capital and strategies for pursuing larger public-sector opportunities.

Who's on the panel

Three lenders will take questions:

• Shelia Winston, vice president and certified senior business consultant at Chase Bank
• Brent Robinson, business relationships manager for South Pierce and Thurston counties at BECU
• Jimmy Ng, senior vice president and business banking sales leader at KeyBank

Scott Lundt, co-owner of LED Trail, a clean energy solutions firm specializing in EV charging and energy storage, will moderate.

Before and after the panel, attendees can connect directly with lenders and business resource partners.

Part of a broader push

The workshop follows Grit City Connect, a regional contracting networking event held Tuesday, May 12, co-hosted by the Port of Tacoma, City of Tacoma, Tacoma Public Schools, and Parks Tacoma.

At that event, Port of Tacoma Executive Director Eric Johnson acknowledged the complexity small businesses face: "There's a long, complicated, and head scratching list of things you have to do, and we don't want that to be a barrier to working with us," Johnson said at the May 12 event.

The Equity in Contracting Program is part of Tacoma's 2026–2030 Community and Economic Development Strategic Plan, which directs the city to develop micro, small, and midsized minority-owned firms and institutionalize inclusive hiring and contracting on city-funded projects, according to the strategic plan.

The program's advisory committee was the subject of interviews before the Economic Development Committee on Tuesday, July 14, according to council records.

How to register

The workshop is free. Registration is open at makeittacoma.com/events. Questions can be directed to Linda Cerna at [email protected] or (253) 453-9488.