On November 16 and 17, in coordination with the Dominican General Directorate for Public Contracting (DGCP), CLDP led an advanced workshop on best practices in the implementation of set-asides and other programs intended to improve access to government contracts for small and women-owned businesses in Santo Domingo, using examples from both the U.S. and Chile. The workshop brought together approximately 60 government procurement and small business stakeholders, many of whom participated in CLDP's March 2017 workshop on similar topics. The workshop’s experts provided examples of small and disadvantaged business set-aside programs utilized in the US and Chile, and explained the certification process that businesses go through to be part of these programs. Experts also covered mechanisms for auditing government institutions to ensure compliance with small business programs, as well financing and international assistance that may be available to small and women-owned businesses to assist them in becoming government contractors. DGCP also offered a presentation on its online transactional portal and the opportunities it affords to small and women-owned businesses, and provided an update on the implementation of CLDP’s recommendations following the previous workshop on this topic. This workshop was part of CLDP’s ongoing technical assistance to the government of the Dominican Republic in the area of government procurement, funded by USAID. Best practices in government procurement introduced over the course of this project aim to create a level playing field in the public market in the Dominican Republic, which will increase opportunities not only for small and women-owned businesses to win government contracts, but also for American companies.