This article uses learning network theory as a foundation upon which the assistance and barriers minority and women entrepreneurs face when attempting to contract with the federal government may be studied. The public policy programs analyzed for this study were the SBA's 8(a) program and the Department of Defense's Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAC). The methodology utilized was an in-depth analysis of government contracting experiences in two states, Missouri and Kansas, in the greater Kansas City area via formalized interviews and government data. Research results revealed strong responses to the 8(a) program and its overall effectiveness. Racial issues were of a particular concern, as well as the perceived lack of strength behind 8(a) contracting incentives. The PTAC program was revealed to be reaching a significantly increasing percentage of woman owned businesses, and to a lesser extent, minority-owned businesses while providing a more effective learning strategy for gaining government contracts.
