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Other Resources for DBEs and Small Businesses

Sacramento Public Agency Consortium (SacPAC)

SacPAC is a collaborative effort of public agencies and small business assistance organizations located in the Sacramento region. This group was formed in response to multiple local government entities scheduling outreach events aimed at the common audience of small and diverse businesses in the Sacramento area. Learn more at https://www.sacramentopac.org/

California Capital APEX Accelerator

Formerly the California Capital Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), serves businesses whose primary office is located within 16 counties in and around the Sacramento area. (Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo, and Yuba Counties). The California Capital APEX helps small businesses prepare for, pursue and perform on Local, State and Federal government contracts. Our Services are provided at no cost and Include: One-on-one counseling tailored to the needs of individual businesses, Training workshops and webinars from beginning to advanced level topics and customized, automated bid matching services.
  • Government Contracting
  • Securing Necessary Registrations / Certifications
  • Marketing your business
  • Researching Procurement Histories
  • Networking
  • Identifying Bid Opportunities
  • Proposal Preparation
  • Contract Performance Issues
  • Cost and Pricing Guidance

Visit https://cacapital.org/ptac to learn more.

CalSavers Retirement Savings Program

The CalSavers Retirement Savings Program was created by state law to ensure all California workers can save for retirement through automatic payroll contributions facilitated from their workplace. Employers of California workers are required to participate in CalSavers if they do not sponsor a retirement plan and have one or more eligible employee. While the program was created to support employees, it was designed to be as easy as possible to facilitate with no program fees for employers. For more information, please visit their website.

Small Business Transportation Resource Center – Southwest Region (SBTRC)

SBTRC is operated by the CalAsian Chamber of Commerce and funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation which provides an array of 1:1 technical assistance to build the capacity of small and disadvantaged businesses through referrals in the following areas: business development, procurement assistance, liaison between prime contractors and sub-contractors, networking and business-matchmaking, capital/financial access, surety bond assistance, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification.

SBTRC also hosts workshops in the following areas: financial health, how to do business with state agencies/primes, and small construction business development program. These services are at no cost and interested small businesses who would like to receive assistance must submit an intake form to be considered here: https://www.sbtrc-sw.com/services/. For more information about SBTRC, visit https://www.sbtrc-sw.com/services/ or email SBTRCsouthwest@calasiancc.org

Caltrans Calmentor Program

Calmentor is an Architectural & Engineering (A&E) mentor-protege program that supports the participation of certified Small Business Enterprise (SBE), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), and Disabled Veterans Business Enterprises (DVBE) firms in the North Region. Visit the Caltrans website for details.

Small Business Administration (SBA)

To develop and improve immediate and long-term business management, record keeping, and financial and accounting capability, SacRT encourages DBEs and other small businesses to visit the Small Business Administration’s resources webpage, which is specifically tailored to be responsive to small business needs.

Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC)

PTAC organizations provide free services to help small businesses prepare for, pursue and perform on government contracts. Visit the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers to find the location that serves your specific area. The Sacramento region is served by the California Capital Procurement Technical Assistance Center.

Sacramento Metro Chamber MetroBusiness Center

The MetroBusiness Center is a program of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. The MetroBusiness Center focuses on delivering guidance, direction, and resources to small and mid-size businesses through services including educational opportunities and individualized consulting. Visit https://metrobusinesscenter.org for additional information.

USDOT Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

The USDOT Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization’s (OSDBU) mission is to ensure Small Business policies and goals of the Secretary of Transportation are implemented in a fair, efficient and effective manner. Visit their website for more information.

Financing and Bonding Assistance

SacRT recognizes that a business’s ability to obtain performance and payment bonds can pose a significant barrier to its ability to be awarded public sector contracts and for those businesses that are able to obtain bonds, being able to bond adequately may also often pose a barrier to working on public contracts.

  • The Caltrans/SBA Bonding Assistance Initiative is a valuable resource that offers a technical assistance surety bond guarantee program to promote increased small business participation in government contracting. The SBA has delivered millions of loans, loan guarantees, contracts, counseling sessions and other forms of assistance to small businesses. For more information, please visit their webpage.
  • U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Small Construction Business Development Program's mission is to build capacity and help prepare small businesses to compete in government-related transportation contracts. The program is a multi-workshop series taught by subject matter experts in bonds, finance, accounting, contract assistance, safety regulations, and more! Graduates of the program obtain a Certificate of Completion from the U.S. Department of Transportation. This is currently a live online and interactive program that is hosted exclusively by the Southwest Small Business Transportation Resource Center (SBTRC), and offered twice a year to a cohort of eligible small businesses that reside in HI, CA, NV, and AZ. For more information on the program and/or interest to participate in future programs visit: https://www.sbtrc-sw.com/services/ or email SBTRCsouthwest@calasiancc.org. Click here to view the Program Eligibility List.
  • SacRT encourages all businesses to use minority-owned financial institutions when seeking financial services. A list of such financial institutions can be found here.

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Supportive Services (DBE/SS) and On the Job Training Supportive Services (OJT/SS)

Caltrans has developed a DBE Supportive Services program with the primary purpose of providing training, assistance, and services to certified DBEs. The goal is to increase their activity in the program and facilitate the business’s development into viable, self-sufficient organizations capable of competing for, and performing on, federally-assisted projects. Caltrans’ OJT/SS Program provides pre-apprenticeship training to increase the participation of women, minorities, and other disadvantaged individuals in skilled and semi-skilled crafts on federally-assisted contracts. Any DBE can contact the regional provider for its district to receive DBE Supportive Services. For more information, please visit their website.