Small businesses: technical assistance: public contracts.

(1) Existing law, the California Small Business Development Technical Assistance Act of 2022, creates the California Small Business Technical Assistance Program within the California Office of the Small Business Advocate, to assist small businesses through consulting and low-cost training by entering into grant agreements with one or more small business technical assistance centers. Existing law establishes the procedures for application and award of grants under the program, and, among other things, requires the office to evaluate applications received based on prescribed factors. Existing law requires the office to prioritize funding for applications that best meet these factors and give preference to applications that propose new or enhanced services to underserved business groups and businesses in low-wealth, rural, and disaster-impacted communities included in a state or federal emergency declaration or proclamation. Existing law, upon appropriation of funds by the Legislature for the purpose of implementing the act, requires that state funds provided pursuant to the program be used to expand consulting and training services through existing and new centers, as prescribed. This bill would also require the office to give preference to applications that propose new or enhanced services to disadvantaged business enterprises. The bill would additionally authorize the application of state funds pursuant to the program to specified costs related to activities by the applicant to expand or enhance technical assistance to priority small businesses and to specified costs related to the delivery of consulting and training services. (2) Other existing law requires the Department of General Services' small business advocate, using existing resources, to provide certain services, including, but not limited to; developing and maintaining an outreach and education program to assist certified small businesses and certified disabled veteran business enterprises to participate in the California multiple award schedule program (CMAS) , actively promoting the availability of these suppliers to deliver or provide a broad range of goods and services to governmental agencies through their participation in the CMAS, establishing a training and development program for acquisition professionals, establishing a recognition and awards program, and preparing and making available to the public a directory of certified small business and certified disabled veteran business enterprise suppliers. This bill would additionally require the department's small business advocate to assist state agencies, in collaboration with the California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program Advocate and the Small Business Advocate, in improving small business and disabled business enterprise procurement participation, as specified, including outreach and providing technical assistance to small businesses seeking certification to be eligible for additional small business assistance related to these provisions.