California's state contracting system runs on its own portal, its own registration, and its own small business certifications, none of it tied to your federal SAM.gov profile. The good news for a small shop: registration and certification here are both free, and the certifications carry a real, quantifiable bid preference, not just a directory listing.
Cal eProcure is the portal for everything
Cal eProcure (caleprocure.ca.gov), run by the Department of General Services (DGS), is where you register as a state vendor, search and respond to bid opportunities, and apply for certification. Registration itself costs nothing. Go to the site, choose "Sell to the State," then "Register Now," and fill in your business profile (Cal eProcure, SB/DVBE). Once you're registered, you can turn on notifications for the categories that match what you sell and start tracking solicitations directly from the portal.
Small Business (SB) and Microbusiness (MB) certification
California's Small Business certification covers businesses under $19 million in average annual gross receipts (or 100 employees, depending on your industry's size standard), and Microbusiness covers businesses under $6 million, or a manufacturer with 25 or fewer employees. Both are administered by DGS at no cost to apply (DGS, Apply for Small Business/DVBE Certification). Certified SB and MB firms get a genuine 5 percent bid preference in evaluated state procurements, on top of eligibility for solicitations that agencies specifically restrict to certified small businesses.
Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) certification
DVBE certification is for businesses at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more service-connected disabled veterans (a disability rating of 10 percent or more), who must reside in California. State agencies work toward an overall 3 percent DVBE participation goal across their contracting, and certified DVBE firms get their own bid preference on top of any SB preference they also qualify for. Certification is handled by the DGS Office of Small Business and DVBE Services (OSDS), reachable directly for questions on a specific application (Cal eProcure, Get Certified).
Where this differs from federal work
Federal set-asides run through SBA and apply nationwide. California's SB and DVBE certifications are state-specific, administered by DGS, and don't transfer either direction: an SBA-certified SDVOSB still has to apply separately for California DVBE, and a California SB certification does nothing on SAM.gov. The size standards differ too. California's $19 million SB threshold is not the same number the SBA uses for your NAICS code federally, so check both separately rather than assuming one covers the other.
We are not Cal eProcure, not the California Department of General Services, and not affiliated with the State of California. Cal eProcure registration and SB/DVBE certification are always free, directly through caleprocure.ca.gov. We provide preparation and bid-tracking assistance only.
Our own pipeline today is built around federal SAM.gov opportunities, and we're expanding into state and local coverage from there. You can see how the federal side works on our how it works page.
Related reading
- Set-Asides Explained: 8(a), WOSB, HUBZone, SDVOSB, and the Rest
- How to Win Texas State Contracts: CMBL, ESBD, and What Happened to HUB Certification
- How to Win New York State Contracts: NYSCR Registration and MWBE Certification Explained