Want a piece of the federal contracting pie? Get an introduction to government contracting through a series of interactive podcasts and webinars presented by American Express OPEN and Women Impacting Public Policy.

Podcasts include:

• Introduction to Federal Procurement and a Guide to Central Contractor Registration (Available through giveme5.com)
   
• What's Next after I Register on the CCR? (Available through giveme5.com) 

Upcoming webinars include:

• Introduction to the GSA Schedule (Dec. 18 at 3 p.m.)
   
• Getting Started in the Federal Procurement Marketplace (Jan. 7 at 3 p.m.)
   
• Does the Government Buy what I Sell? (Jan. 15 at 3 p.m.)
   
• Four Easy Lessons in Free Market Research (Jan. 28 at 3 p.m.)

Additional courses will be introduced in 2009.

American Express OPEN and WIPP co-launched the series as part of Give Me 5, an education and mentoring program designed to help women business owners get involved in the federal contracting system. It derives its name from the Equity in Federal Contracting for Women Act (2000), which stipulates that 5 percent of federal contracts should be awarded to women business owners--a goal that the federal government has yet to achieve.

You can register and review course descriptions online at giveme5.com (Access the "Training Podcasts" and "Events and Training Programs" links for details).