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DGS and Cal OSBA unveil certification, training and finance tools for small firms
Summary
DGS described new SB/DVBE regulations, supplier training and an outreach tracker while Cal OSBA detailed SCALE technical assistance and SSBCI financing aimed at helping diverse small businesses scale and win state contracts.
Department of General Services Director Anna Lasso and the California Office of the Small Business Advocate described steps intended to help small, micro and disabled‑veteran businesses navigate state procurement.
Lasso said DGS is the 'front door' to state procurement and certification, answered metrics about outreach (roughly 7,000 phone calls and 6,000 emails annually) and noted recent SB/DVBE regulatory updates adopted on June 29, 2023. She urged vendors to use the CALSAT mapping tool and the state's procurement portal (Cal eProcure) and said DGS is building an outreach tracker to follow contact‑to‑contract outcomes; the tracker was estimated to complete in July 2024.
Lasso summarized certification categories (micro, SB, SB for public works, and DVBE), thresholds for gross receipts and employee counts, and said certified firms can access exclusive contracting opportunities and reciprocity agreements with local partners. She also listed upcoming supplier training cohorts and a 'SB/DVBE supplier training' curriculum of eight courses to strengthen bidding capacity.
Cal OSBA Director (identified in the transcript as Carolyn Gray) outlined the agency's SCALE technical assistance network and SSBCI capital programs administered through IBank and the treasurer's office to help firms access financing for bidding and project execution. Gray said the network connects firms to procurement‑focused accelerators and noted a gap in contract financing (bid bonds and upfront bond capacity) that limits small firms; the office is working to fill that gap.
Both agencies said vendors should register on Cal eProcure, maintain accurate UNSPSC/NAICS profiles and contact the OSDS help desk (osdshelp@dgs.ca.gov) or smallbusinessadvocate@dot.ca.gov for department‑specific assistance. Lasso and Gray urged small businesses to join mentor‑protégé programs and supplier training to be procurement‑ready.
