The Procurement Technical Assistance (PTA) Cooperative Agreement Program was established by Congress in 1985 in the DoD Authorization Act. The program is designed to assist state and local governments and other private non-profit entities in establishing or maintaining PTA activities in order to provide technical assistance and information to small businesses interested in selling their goods and services to the DoD. In 1991, the PTA program was extended to offer the same assistance to firms wishing to market not only DoD but any Federal agency. It was later further modified, and now includes state and local government. The program runs on a nationwide basis with approximately 100 centers located in different states.

The not for profit Procurement Technical Assistance Program, at the George Mason University Mason Enterprise Center is a statewide program serving businesses in the Commonwealth of Virginia, interested in doing business with Federal, state or local government.

In addition to PTAP state headquarters in the City of Fairfax, there is a co-located Procurement Technical Assistance Center (NOVAPTAC), which serves Northern Virginia and DC companies in pursuit of their government business objectives. PTAC's in Charlottesville and the Hampton Roads area, associated with the statewide program, deliver services in their areas of responsibility. There are two other regional PTACs in the Commonwealth, collaborating with the Virginia PTAP that provide services to the locales they serve.