COEUR d'ALENE - The 22nd annual Idaho Business Opportunity Conference on Thursday at The Coeur d'Alene Resort will offer businesses a chance to connect with purchasers and ideas to expand sales.

State legislators in the Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene/Hayden areas are paying some scholarships for businesses in their districts to attend. The scholarships are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sen. Jim Hammond and Reps. Frank Henderson and Bob Nonini will pay for the conference fee for the first 10 Post Falls area businesses who call the chamber at 773-5016.

Sen. John Goedde and Rep. Marge Chadderdon are sponsoring six businesses in the Coeur d'Alene and Hayden areas. Those can be obtained by calling Goedde at 664-9223 or Chadderdon at 769-9309.

"We're offering these scholarships as knowledge of the conference seems to be non-existent among the bulk of local businesses," Henderson said. "We want to do anything and everything we can to assist the private sector. The information at this conference will help business access more potential contacts in the state."

Purchasers at the conference include large corporations and government agencies. The conference, sponsored by the Idaho Department of Commerce, is geared toward manufacturers, contractors, distributors and service providers. It is open to all businesses hoping to expand domestic sales.

Topics of the seminars include:

• Federal Contracting Certification Program;

• Selling to the state of Idaho;

• Working with the Idaho National Laboratory; and

• A federal government contracting panel.

The conference runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration and a continental breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m.

Cost is $65 per person, which covers all seminars, access to buyers, breakfast and lunch.

Information: www.idahoworks.com/ptac or contact Gary Moore at (208) 334-2650, ext. 2140, e-mail gary.moore@commerce.idaho.gov