Sacramento, Calif. – The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) today announced grant awards to 84 recipients of the California Small Business Technical Assistance Expansion Program (SB TAEP). The state’s $17 million in new grant funding has been allocated to technical assistance centers serving traditionally underserved business groups, including women, minority, and veteran-owned businesses and businesses in low-wealth, rural, and disaster-impacted communities.

“California is home to the largest number and fastest growing start-ups and small businesses in the country doing everything from providing professional services to innovating next gen consumer products,” said GO-Biz Director Panorea Avdis. “This new grant program will give many of these small businesses the expert advice and tools they need to grow and maintain their ventures.”

SB TAEP was created as part of the Governor’s Fiscal Year 2018 / 2019 state budget to expand the capacity of federal small business technical assistance programs and services in California such as free or low-cost one-on-one consulting and low-cost training. GO-Biz worked closely with the Legislature to establish the grant program and is charged with implementing and administering the program.

“As Chair of the Jobs Committee, I am pleased to see that our state’s real job creators, our small businesses, now have greater access to services that help them expand their successful ventures and begin new ones on the right foot,” said Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva. “These grants will support the development of small businesses in California, and remove these businesses’ impediments to grow. This investment will make economic independence, and upward mobility, a reality for millions more Californians by cultivating the ingenuity and talents our best have to offer.”

Federal small business technical assistance centers are designated by federal funding partners to operate federal small business technical assistance programs throughout the state. These centers provide one-on-one, confidential consulting, and training to help small businesses and entrepreneurs start, expand, facilitate investment and create jobs in California. The SB TAEP provides state grant funding to expand consulting and training services provided by existing and new centers, including satellite offices.

“I am proud to have worked alongside my colleague Assemblymember Quirk-Silva, and GO-Biz, to champion significant funding to support California’s small businesses,” said Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes. “Small businesses are the cornerstone of California’s economy and it is imperative that we continue working to ensure that they have the resources necessary to thrive in our great state. I am especially excited to see that technical assistance centers in Riverside County, and throughout California now have adequate funding to provide essential services that support small businesses, specifically those owned by veterans, women, and minorities.”

Recipients of this year’s funding include:

Asian Business Institute & Resource Center (ABIRC)
Provides technical assistance to Southeast Asian businesses in Fresno County’s rural areas by offering language translation and direct services, including trainings on state and local requirements and procurement processes.

Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA)
Provides financial management and marketing support to help former farmworkers and veterans establish and operate viable organic family farms in Monterey County.

Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center (Richmond Center) 
Provides English and Spanish language services in low-wealth communities in eastern and western Contra Costa County, including comprehensive business planning courses in English and Spanish. Industry-specific training and consulting to businesses in the food, service, and makers/manufacturing sectors.

Veteran Business Outreach Center
Provides technical assistance to Veterans throughout the state in starting, sustaining, or expanding a small business.  Services will include financial management, cybersecurity requirements, procurement, and social media and e-commerce marketing platforms.

Central CA Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Facilitates increased online/electronic consulting throughout the Central CA SBDC region. Expanded consulting and training services to small businesses throughout the region affected by current and future wildfires and other natural disasters.

El Pajaro Community Development Corporation
Provides programs and services to small and micro‐businesses from disadvantaged communities in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties.  Services will include general business education, business development training, and access to capital services and for our farm and food‐based businesses, assistance with accessing new markets.

Norcal SBDC Tech Futures Group
Expands consulting efforts throughout the Norcal SBDC region to tech entrepreneurs who want to create scalable and high growth companies but lack the business experience, knowledge, and valuable investor contacts.

Norcal SBDC (Siskiyou Service Center)
Creates a traveling, remote satellite center to serve remote communities.  The “pop-up” center will provide each community in the region with an SBDC for a day.

Visit the California Small Business Technical Assistance Expansion Program for more information or view the SB TAEP Awardees.

About GO-Biz
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth and economic development efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information visit, www.business.ca.gov.

Contact Information
Address:
1325 J Street, Suite 1800
Sacramento, CA 95818
Phone: 1-877-345-4633
Email Us

Explore more articles by category:  GO-Biz News  |  CalOSBA News  |  Press Releases |  Opinion Editorials

Sacramento, Calif. – The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) today announced that California received a $650,000 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to help California small businesses boost trade and exports abroad. GO-Biz and CDFA will use the funds as part of the California State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) to help California small businesses participate in activities like foreign sales trade shows and access foreign markets through trade promotion initiatives.

“California is the 5th largest economy in the world and today’s announcement bolsters the state’s efforts to help more small businesses become international exporters,” said Panorea Avdis, Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). “Small businesses can use these funds to connect with international customers, market products globally, and identify new business opportunities. These resources empower companies to scale-up operations, create new jobs, and grow our local California economies. We look forward to further expanding this program to bring more California business into the global economy.”       

The grant is part of SBA’s STEP program which awarded grants to 47 states and territories to support activities to increase exports by US small businesses. Administrator Linda McMahon, the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and member of President Trump’s Cabinet, announced the grant award this week in Washington D.C.

“The SBA is committed to ensuring equal access for small businesses to international markets and expanding export opportunities, and ensuring small businesses have the resources they need to drive their businesses and local communities forward,” said SBA Administrator Linda McMahon.  “The STEP awards are an important resource that provide small businesses with the confidence and funding they need to thrive in this competitive international market.”

STEP awards were created to advance key priorities identified in the 2010 President’s National Export Initiative (NEI), namely to expand the base of small businesses that become exporters and to make the exporting process as easy as possible for small businesses.

“California understands the importance of international markets, trading partners and what exports mean to our local communities,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “This award will help further assistance to small businesses and help them to maximize their potential in foreign markets. As the nation’s largest agricultural producer and exporter our farmers, ranchers and food processors benefit from open markets, export sales and a global consumer base.”

California has received STEP funding in previous years, and this is the second year GO-Biz and the CDFA will jointly administer the program. In addition to the Federal support, California and its partner agencies will provide $349,999 in matching funds, bringing the total program funds to $999,999. GO-Biz and CDFA will work with other partners including the California Centers for International Trade Development (CITD), the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Orange County Business Council in providing trade promotion programs.

GO-Biz and CDFA will use the funds to help small businesses participate in activities like foreign export trade show exhibitions, participation in foreign trade missions tailored the sales of products and/or services, foreign market sales trips, subscription services provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, as well as design of international marketing campaigns, and more.

For more information on the California STEP program, visit California STEP and for additional information on SBA’s STEP program and the FY 2016 awardees, visit the Small Business Administration. 

About GO-Biz
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth and economic development efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information visit, www.business.ca.gov.

Contact Information
Address:
1325 J Street, Suite 1800
Sacramento, CA 95818
Phone: 1-877-345-4633
Email Us

Explore more articles by category:  GO-Biz News  |  CalOSBA News  |  Press Releases |  Opinion Editorials

Sacramento, Calif. – The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) today announced a series of workshops to solicit input and feedback on the new California Community Reinvestment Grants program it is developing.   This program will provide grants to community-based nonprofit organizations and local health departments to support the following activities for communities disproportionately affected by past federal and state drug policies:

• Job placement
• Mental health treatment
• Substance use disorder treatment
• System navigation services
• Legal services to address barriers to reentry
• Linkages to medical care

“These workshops are an excellent opportunity for community stakeholders to help shape this new grant program,” said GO-Biz Deputy Director Will Koch. “We look forward to meeting with the people and organizations on the front line of rehabilitating lives and improving communities to hear how this program can be implemented to maximize their important work.” GO-Biz will discuss the parameters of the program and solicit input and feedback from workshop attendees with respect to the development and implementation of the program. Representatives from local health departments, community based-nonprofit organizations, community leaders and other stakeholders are encouraged to attend. For workshop locations and registration information, view the Workshops. In addition to the listed workshops, GO-Biz will also hold one or more webinars that will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information, visit the Community Reinvestment Grants program. About the California Community Reinvestment Grants Program The California Community Reinvestment Grants program was included in The Adult Use of Marijuana Act (Proposition 64), which was approved by California voters on November 8, 2016, and directs GO-Biz to award grants beginning no later than January 1, 2020, to community-based nonprofit organizations and local health departments to provide a range of services for communities disproportionately affected by past federal and state drug policies. 

About GO-Biz
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth and economic development efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information visit, www.business.ca.gov.

Contact Information
Address:
1325 J Street, Suite 1800
Sacramento, CA 95818
Phone: 1-877-345-4633
Email Us

Explore more articles by category:  GO-Biz News  |  CalOSBA News  |  Press Releases |  Opinion Editorials

SAN FRANCISCO, August 23, 2018 – Today, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and Alice announced the Global Climate Action Summit Innovation Showcase Competition for small businesses and startups that are working to address the impacts of climate change. The Innovation Showcase Competition will provide 25 companies the opportunity to exhibit in front of nearly 4,000 attendees and compete for a Grand Prize package.

Centered on the theme “Take Ambition to the Next Level,” the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS) will bring leaders and people together from around the world to San Francisco’s Moscone Center from September 12-14. It will be a moment to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of states, regions, cities, companies, investors, and citizens with respect to climate action. It will also be a launchpad for deeper worldwide commitments and accelerated action from countries—supported by all sectors of society—that can put the globe on track to prevent dangerous climate change and realize the historic Paris Agreement.

The 25 Innovation Showcase Competition winners will be selected based on their commitment to curbing climate change and contributions in the following areas:

• Healthy Energy Systems
• Inclusive Economic Growth
• Sustainable Communities
• Land and Ocean Stewardship
• Transformative Climate Investments

Submit applications and nominations by August 31, 2018.

Applications open today, August 23, 2018, and winners will be announced on September 4, 2018.

The 25 companies selected to join the Innovation Showcase will receive:

• An invitation to exhibit at the Innovation Forum on September 13-14, 2018, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
• The opportunity to share their innovations with delegates including investors, corporate partners, and media.

One company will also be selected as the Grand Prize Winner by an assembly of partner organizations and receive an award package that includes:

• $5,000 cash prize
• Mentorship from Signia Venture Partners
• A contributed article on Inc.com

NOTE: Accredited media are invited to attend an Innovation Forum Showcase Tour at 9:30 a.m. PT on September 14, 2018, at the Moscone Center. To attend the Showcase Tour, please contact Courtenay Siegfried.

The Global Climate Action Summit has also announced that the final deadline for media to apply for credentials in order to attend the landmark climate event is Tuesday, September 4.

Members of the press who wish to attend can simply complete an online application form here. Please be advised that media credentials for this event are limited, and an application does not guarantee access to the Summit. Those submitting applications after the September 4 deadline will not be able to gain access to San Francisco’s Moscone Center where the Summit is to take place.

Media who have questions regarding the Summit can contact the GCAS press office team.

###

About the Global Climate Action Summit

The 2018 Global Climate Action Summit, hosted in San Francisco September 12 to 14, will bring together state and local governments, business, and citizens from around the world to showcase climate action taking place, thereby demonstrating how the tide has turned in the race against climate change and inspiring deeper national commitments in support of the Paris Agreement.

To keep warming well below 2 degrees C, and ideally pursue 1.5 degrees C—temperatures that could lead to catastrophic consequences—worldwide emissions must start trending downwards.

The Summit will showcase climate action around the world, along with bold new commitments, to give world leaders the confidence they can go even further by 2020.

The Summit’s five headline challenge areas are Healthy Energy Systems; Inclusive Economic Growth; Sustainable Communities; Land and Ocean Stewardship and Transformative Climate Investments.

A series of reports are set to be launched over the coming months and at the Summit underlining the contribution of states and regions, cities, businesses, investors and civil society, also known as “non-party stakeholders,” to national and international efforts to address climate change.

Many partners are supporting the Summit including the Climate Group; the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group; Business for Social Responsibility (BSR); CAN International; Ceres; WWF; and Mission 2020.

About the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as California’s lead entity for economic development and job creation efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more.

About Alice
Founded by Carolyn Rodz and Elizabeth Gore, Alice is a free digital platform that makes smart, instant connections between business owners and the resources, opportunities and communities they need to thrive. Alice is open to all entrepreneurs and has a social mission to prioritize access for women and other underrepresented business owners.

Media Contacts:

Nick Nuttall
Global Climate Action Summit

Sam Chiu
California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development

Courtenay Siegfried
Alice

Joseph Giumarra
Havas PR

About GO-Biz
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth and economic development efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information visit, www.business.ca.gov.

Contact Information
Address:
1325 J Street, Suite 1800
Sacramento, CA 95818
Phone: 1-877-345-4633
Email Us

Explore more articles by category:  GO-Biz News  |  CalOSBA News  |  Press Releases |  Opinion Editorials

Sacramento, Calif. – Today, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), in conjunction with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), released the results of a California Cybersecurity Labor Market Analysis and Statewide Survey. This document details the findings of a study done by the California Community Colleges Centers of Excellence for Labor Market Research and demonstrates that there is much work to be done in order to adequately prepare Californians for the demands of the digital and cyber economy.

Conducted as part of the California Advanced Supply Chain Analysis & Diversification Effort (CASCADE) initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, the study gathered information about workforce needs in California and the scope of training being provided by educational providers across the state. It found an alarming gap in the supply of qualified cybersecurity workers prepared to fill the 35,000 cybersecurity-related annual job openings that exist in California.

“The Cybersecurity Labor Market Analysis is a major step forward in understanding the significant gap between the demand for cybersecurity-related occupations and number of qualified candidates in the state,” said GO-Biz Director Panorea Avdis.  “As California’s companies rely more on digital technologies, addressing this labor shortfall becomes more urgent.  We look forward to working with public and private partners to identify and implement solutions that support California businesses.”

In order to complete this analysis, a statewide survey of 385 businesses was conducted to collect data for nine of the most common cybersecurity occupations, using the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework.  This included roles such as Systems Security Analyst, Cyber Defense Analyst, Vulnerability Assessment Analyst, Cyber Defense Forensics Analyst, and Software Developer, among others.  Additionally, as part of the study, primary and secondary data was collected on public and private postsecondary institutions offering cybersecurity related programs.

Based on employer responses, strong cybersecurity employment growth is expected over the next 12 months, ranging from 4% to 21% for the work roles studied, representing an increase of about 14,300 positions.  In 2016, the most recent year of available data, 242 accredited postsecondary institutions in California offered 1,177 programs that were related to cybersecurity.  However, only 3,200 awards were conferred by programs that focused directly on cybersecurity or clearly included aspects of cybersecurity in their curriculum.  The study concludes that California’s educational institutions are not currently supplying enough qualified candidates to fill the thousands of cybersecurity job openings that exist.

Eileen Sanchez, CASCADE Program Manager said, “These numbers show a real opportunity to train individuals into high growth occupations. Knowing what occupations and skills are most important is a key factor in re-training defense workers and getting them to adapt to national security priorities and the changing skills requirements of jobs in our economy here in California.”

Additional Key Findings

• For all nine work roles, 60% or more of employers reported some or great difficulty finding qualified candidates. This demonstrates the significant challenge employers are facing hiring the cybersecurity workers they need.
• Across all nine work roles, the top three hiring challenges are: lack of qualified candidates in general, lack of relevant work experience, and lack of required technology skills.
• For all nine work roles, 75% or more of defense contractors reported that security certifications are important or very important when hiring, and for seven of the work roles, 80% or more of defense contractors reported this.
• For each of four IT/IS work roles, a majority of employers indicated that employees spend more than a quarter of their time on security/cybersecurity issues and that compared to 12 months ago the amount of time spent on security/cybersecurity issues had increased.
• The majority of cybersecurity-related programs are offered by public two-year (56%) and public four-year (16%) colleges, resulting in public colleges offering 72% of cybersecurity-related programs.
• In a survey of postsecondary institutions with cybersecurity related programs, nearly two-thirds of respondents indicated they offered programs that align with the “Operate and Maintain” category in the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework.
• Download a free copy of the Report.

About the CASCADE Program
Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA), the CASCADE program seeks to bolster California’s defense supply chain cybersecurity resilience, innovation capacity and diversification strategies, and to support the growth and sustainment of California’s cybersecurity workforce through cybersecurity-related education curricula, training and apprenticeship programs. CASCADE is led by the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR). CASCADE includes 15 funded projects in partnership with government, industry, community, and academic institutions and is the most ambitious and comprehensive approach to addressing cybersecurity and the defense supply chain in California.

About GO-Biz
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth and economic development efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information visit, www.business.ca.gov.

Contact Information
Address:
1325 J Street, Suite 1800
Sacramento, CA 95818
Phone: 1-877-345-4633
Email Us

Explore more articles by category:  GO-Biz News  |  CalOSBA News  |  Press Releases |  Opinion Editorials

Sacramento, Calif. – Building on the Administration’s efforts to make state government more efficient, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) awarded 22 state officials across 10 state departments certificates of completion for the Lean 6-Sigma Green Belt projects which helps state government agencies be more business friendly by streamlining their individual processes.

The GO-Biz Lean 6-Sigma program has long been used by the world’s corporate leaders including Toyota, Motorola and General Electric to increase efficiency. In order to receive a certificate, participants must complete a real-life six-month project that demonstrates vastly improved efficiency within his or her department. Moreover, each participant completes the program having gained complex analytical and statistical skills that can help identify waste and inefficiencies within their respective organizations beyond this one project. The resulting improvements have a direct positive impact on governments’ interaction with the public by improving the customer service experience for businesses. 

The graduation ceremony was hosted in the Governor’s Council Room and featured GO-Biz Director Panorea Avdis. “For years, the Lean 6-Sigma Green Belt program has helped departments and agencies streamline their processes across state government in order to better support our clients, the thousands of businesses across California,” said Director Avdis. “I congratulate all of this year’s Green Belt participants on their successful completion of the program, and look forward to helping other state agencies find even more efficiencies in the future.”

The state departments that participated in the program are: 

• Department of Human Resources (CalHR)
• Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA)
• Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC)
• Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
• Employment Development Department (EDD)
• Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC)
• Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW)
• Fuels, Lubricants, and Automotive Products Program (FLAPP)
• Office of Emergency Management Services (Cal OES)
• Division of Correctional Health Care Services (DCHCS)

Visit Lean 6-Sigma for the complete list of graduates and information on projects.

Since 2014, GO-Biz has partnered with the Government Operations Agency (GovOps) to offer Lean 6-Sigma Training to state agencies to specifically address process-based issues within state departments that were causing delays in services to both internal and external stakeholders.

GovOps Secretary Marybel Batjer stated, “Congratulations to the graduates of the 2018 Green Belt class. You represent a growing movement of California public servants who are dedicated to improving performance to better serve California.”

Improved processes and efficiencies included an effort by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to streamline its process for soliciting, reviewing, and ranking proposals for Federal State Wildlife Grant funds.  Through the Lean 6-Sigma program, CDFW was able to successfully reduce time developing, reviewing, selecting, and submitting grant proposals from an average total processing time of 234 days to completing 95% within 60 days.

“Lean Six Sigma provided us an entirely new outlook on how project management should be approached,” stated project leader Nichole Eshelman, Regional Administrative Officer III with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.  “By applying the Lean Six Sigma methodology, we were able to obtain our objective and our State Wildlife Grant process is now more efficient, more cost effective, well controlled, and meets our total processing time goal of 60 days.  The public will now have the benefit of a reliable and consistent annual process with set deadlines and clear roles and responsibilities.  CDFW has already begun to utilize the Lean Six Sigma methodology to create efficiencies in other areas of the Department and we look forward to achieving a leaner and more streamlined Department overall.”

The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) utilized the Lean 6-Sigma program to reduce the time it took to complete the analysis to determine the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) document for each Permitting Decision while not affecting the quality of the analysis. In order to make the process more efficient, DTSC introduced a standardized Consultation Analysis with all of the critical personnel in attendance to conduct a detailed review of the project, analyze the environmental impacts related within CEQA, and determine the appropriate CEQA Document. As a result, early projections indicate the duration of time to make a CEQA Document Decision will decrease from an average of over 200 days to 1-4 hours.

“Our team did a great job to ensure that all of our improvements regarding our California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Document Determination project would be guided by our data while still maintaining the protectiveness set forth within CEQA,” said Hazardous Substances Engineer Shawn Browning. “I’m excited that the reduction in time to make these CEQA document determinations will allow our Permitting Division to make important permit decisions in a more timely fashion.”

About GO-Biz
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth and economic development efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information visit, www.business.ca.gov.

Contact Information
Address:
1325 J Street, Suite 1800
Sacramento, CA 95818
Phone: 1-877-345-4633
Email Us

Explore more articles by category:  GO-Biz News  |  CalOSBA News  |  Press Releases |  Opinion Editorials