CalOSBA in Southern California
The California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalSOBA) serves as the voice of small business, representing your views and interests and advocating for equitable access to capital, markets and resources.
CalOSBA’s regional teams live and work near you so we can participate in local events and get to know our small business communities from the inside out. We want to meet you, answer your questions and support your events.
Local & Regional Economic Conferences | Ribbon-cuttings | Workshops & Webinars |
Chamber of Commerce Meetings | Lending Events | & More
Southern California Team
Chris Earl
Michael Martinez
Stephanie Garcia
Susana Ramirez-Muñoz
Grants and Loans
Discover grant and loan programs for small businesses. On our website you can:
- Get details on upcoming grant and loan programs
- Find current grant and loan opportunities
- Learn how to apply for a funding program
Small Business Support Centers
Their expert advisors can assist you with all stages of your business including startup business plans, access to financing, growth, resiliency plans, e-commerce, marketing and more.
State of California Procurement Marketplace
Cal eProcure
Cal eProcure is an online portal that gives businesses access to state bidding, contracting and certification resources in one location. Learn more at the Cal eProcure website
Department of General Services
The Department of General Services (DGS) Procurement Division (PD) sets state procurement policies and provides purchasing services. It delegates purchasing authority to state departments; certifies small and/or disabled veteran businesses to do business with the state; and provides innovative purchasing methods that save taxpayers’ dollars, integrating quality solutions to meet customers’ needs. Learn more at the DGS website.
Source Diverse Source Local
Source Diverse Source Local is a public-private collaboration to foster an inclusive procurement process and a resilient California-based supply chain. Source Diverse Source Local supports diversity, equity and inclusion in California’s procurements by increasing state dollars spent with diverse and/or local California businesses.
This initiative aims to develop new and existing small businesses through procurement readiness programs to obtain manufacturing, government and/or corporate contracts.
Learn more here.
Don’t Be Scared, Get Prepared
Outsmart Disaster provides California businesses and nonprofits with the training and resources needed to prepare for and recover from all types of business interruptions.
- Download and customize your Business Resiliency Roadmap
- Attend an online training webinar
- Schedule an in-person training for your community
Trainings available in Spanish!
Small Business Success Stories from California’s Small Business Center Network
CalOSBA’s small business support partners and grant programs provide California’s small businesses with no-cost or low-cost 1:1 consulting and training to help them get started, manage, and grow. Learn how business-owners in a community near you took advantage of these services to improve the outlook for their businesses.
Accelerate California Inclusive Innovation Hubs in Your Region
EDC Ventura County
Camarillo
Leveraging strong partnerships with educational institutions, government agencies, chambers of commerce, technical service providers and funding entities, the program has successfully assisted over 900 entrepreneurs and businesses throughout the tri-county area.
HealLA
Los Angeles
The program aims to accelerate healthcare and wellness startups in underserved areas of Los Angeles. Heal.LA has provided support to 15 founder-entrepreneurs resulting in over $450,000 in funding, awarded patents and pending intellectual property.
Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics
Orange
Hosted by Chapman University, the Center’s mission is to stimulate entrepreneurial job creation by fostering collaboration across academia, industry, nonprofits, and communities of practice. The Center provides entrepreneurial training, coaching, and mentorship to diverse and underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Plug In South LA
Los Angeles
Employing a multifaceted approach involving events, programs, and mentorship, Plug in South LA unlocks the potential of African-American and Latinx entrepreneurs and nurtures the growth of tech and digital media startups in South LA.
The Brink SBDC
San Diego
The Brink SBDC at the University of San Diego provides support to start-ups in underserved small business groups with a focus on advising and training in commercialization. A key objective is addressing funding challenges faced by underserved founders.
InSoCal Accelerate Hub
Riverside
Hosted by the University of California, Riverside, the InSoCal Hub connects existing entrepreneurial support organizations including accelerators/incubators in the Inland Southern California region and provides the necessary resources to help high potential ventures in the sustainability space.
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California Office of the Small Business Advocate
1325 J Street, Suite 1800
Sacramento, CA 95814
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