California Contracting
The State of California purchases a wide variety of goods and services ranging from pencils to temporary labor.
In FY 2019-20, the state spent more than $12 billion on goods and services, $2.8 billion of which was with certified small businesses.
The Procurement Division at the California Department of General Services (DGS) is the central purchasing authority for all state departments and local government agencies.
The State of California recognizes only two certifications: Small Business Enterprise (SB or SBE) and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE). There is also a subsect of the SB certification for Public Works businesses, SB-PW that allows public works businesses a higher revenue limit to become certified as small.
Become a Vendor with the State of California
1. Get registered in the Cal eProcure database
All businesses are eligible to become vendors, regardless of size or location. For assistance, refer to the Cal eProcure Vendor Training page and this DGS Resources page.
2. Get certified through Cal eProcure
Find out if you’re eligible to increase your opportunities with state agencies with the SB, SB-PW, or DVBE certifications.
Advanced
3. Apply for a California Multiple Award Schedules contract
CMAS is the state’s version of GSA schedules. Some local municipalities also use CMAS for purchasing.
More information is available at the DGS Procurement Division website. The State also organizes frequent outreach activities teaching businesses how to get registered and certified, often partnered with an APEX Accelerator (formerly PTAC).
NEW: Register in the SB/DVBE Emergency Registry. You must be a certified SB/DVBE and able to deliver on-demand emergency goods and services.
Our experienced team at the Norcal APEX Accelerator (formerly Norcal PTAC) is available to walk you through the state registration and certification process, and any other government contracting topics at no cost to you.
