U.S. Small Business Administration and HP Continue National Business Matchmaking Tour in Philadelphia

WASHINGTON - Aug. 17, 2004 - The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and HP are bringing unique procurement opportunities to budding and established entrepreneurs in the Eastern United States as the next stop in the national Business Matchmaking tour lands in Philadelphia, August 17-18, at the Adam's Mark Hotel.

Business Matchmaking provides significant economic opportunities to America's small businesses by facilitating one-on-one meetings with procurement officials from federal, state and local government organizations, as well as large corporations, for real contract opportunities. The largest small business initiative in SBA history, the program has been held in 11 cities across the country in 2003 and 2004, and is expected to bring millions of dollars in procurement contract opportunities to small businesses through a series of one- and two-day events.

In Philadelphia, procurement officials from more than 100 federal, state and local government organizations and major corporations, such as AstraZeneca, American Airlines, HP, Office Depot, Weston Solutions, Inc. and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, will be on-site to meet with small businesses. In addition to the face-to-face meetings in Philadelphia, small business participants will also receive on-site counseling and educational sessions by the regional SBA, SCORE, Small Business Development Centers, Procurement Technical Assistance Centers and more.

During the Philadelphia Business Matchmaking event, HP will honor SBA Administrator Hector V. Barreto for his strong commitment and dedication to the small business market and his accomplishments, vision and leadership in the success of the Business Matchmaking program.

"I am honored to be recognized by our partner, HP, for the strides we've made with the small business community through Business Matchmaking," Barreto said. "This award truly belongs to everyone that has worked so diligently to make this program the success it is today."

"Administrator Barreto knows the importance of providing the necessary tools and opportunities for small businesses to get a foot in the door to grow and prosper," said Robyn West, vice president of Small and Medium Business at HP. "It is for his vision and steadfast dedication to this vital market, and his leadership and partnership on Business Matchmaking, that we are honoring him today."

Small business owners and representatives attending the Business Matchmaking event were given a free, half-day preparatory workshop in Philadelphia on July 22nd for the training and education they would need to take part in the procurement process. The workshop was the largest to date with nearly 600 small business representatives in attendance.

Over the past year, previous Business Matchmaking events from Anaheim, Calif. to Orlando, Fla. have resulted in more than 15,000 meetings between small business owners and procurement officials, resulting in millions of dollars in contracts awarded.

As a partner on the Business Matchmaking program, HP's technology is the driving force behind the program's overall operations, including registration, education and training, as well as website support and on-site "Cyber Cafe" Internet workstations. In addition, HP procurement officers are on-site at each event to meet with small businesses for contract opportunities.

Business Matchmaking will continue its tour across the United States through 2004 and into 2005. For more information on the Philadelphia Business Matchmaking and upcoming events, please visit http://www.businessmatchmaking.com.

About HP

HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company's offerings span IT infrastructure, personal computing and access devices, global services and imaging and printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended July 31, 2004, HP revenue totaled $78.4 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

About the SBA

The U.S. Small Business Administration, established in 1953, provides financial, technical and management assistance to help Americans start, run, and grow their businesses. With a portfolio of direct and guaranteed business loans and disaster loans worth more than $45 billion, SBA is the nation's largest single financial backer of small businesses. Last year, SBA offered management and technical assistance to more than 2 million small business owners. SBA also plays a major role in the government's disaster relief efforts by making low-interest recovery loans to both homeowners and businesses. America's 23 million small businesses employ more than 50 percent of the private workforce, generate more than half the nation's gross domestic product, and are the principal source of new jobs in the U.S. economy.