Other Resources for DBEs and Small Businesses

Sacramento Public Agency Consortium (SacPAC)

SacRT is a member of the Sacramento Public Agency Consortium. SacPAC is a collaborative network of public agencies and small business assistance organizations in the Sacramento region. Formed to streamline outreach efforts, SacPAC connects small and diverse businesses with valuable resources, training, and contracting opportunities. By bringing together multiple local government entities, SacPAC helps businesses navigate procurement processes, access support services, and build relationships with key agencies. Learn more at https://www.sacramentopac.org/.

Bay Area Business Outreach Committee (BOC)

SacRT is a member of the Bay Area Business Outreach Committee. The BOC is a consortium of Bay Area transit and transportation agencies working together to assist Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) and Small Business Enterprises (SBEs) through training, providing technical assistance, and relationship-building with agency staff and the contracting community of the San Francisco Bay Area. To learn more about the BOC and to contact agency members, visit: https://www.goldengate.org/district/doing-business/business-outreach-committee/

Local Chambers of Commerce

SacRT partners with local and statewide Chambers of Commerce to support diverse businesses and strengthen economic growth in the Sacramento region. These partnerships foster connections, provide resources, and promote opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses. Learn more about our partners:

California Capital APEX Accelerator

California Capital APEX Accelerator supports businesses in 16 counties around Sacramento, including Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo, and Yuba Counties. It helps small businesses navigate Local, State, and Federal government contracting at no cost, offering one-on-one counseling, training workshops, and bid matching services. Assistance includes registrations, certifications, marketing, bid opportunities, proposal preparation, and contract performance. Learn more at https://cacapital.org/apex/. To find other APEX Accelerator locations, visit: https://www.napex.us/

Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)

Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) provide no-cost business advising and low-cost training to help small businesses start, grow, and thrive. Funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, SBDCs offer expert guidance on business planning, financing, marketing, government contracting, and more. With a network of centers across California, they serve as a valuable resource for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Learn more at https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/resource-partners/small-business-development-centers-sbdc.

Sacramento Valley SBDC:

Serving Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba Counties. https://www.sacramentovalleysbdc.org/

San Joaquin SBDC:

Serving San Joaquin County. https://www.sanjoaquinsbdc.org/

Small Business Transportation Resource Center – Southwest Region (SBTRC)

Operated by the CalAsian Chamber of Commerce, SBTRC provides no-cost, one-on-one technical assistance to help small and disadvantaged businesses grow and succeed in the transportation industry. Services include business development support, procurement assistance, subcontracting guidance, networking and matchmaking, access to capital and surety bonds, and DBE certification support. SBTRC also offers workshops on financial health, working with state agencies and prime contractors, and small construction business development. Learn more at https://sbtrc-southwest.com/ 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. The program fosters partnerships between small businesses and experienced firms to enhance opportunities in the transportation industry. Visit the Caltrans Calmentor Program District North Region (1,2,3) website for details.

Caltrans Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Supportive Services (DBE/SS) and Business Development Program (BDP)

Caltrans offers Supportive Services to help Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) and small businesses succeed in transportation contracting. These services include technical assistance, business development resources, bonding and financial guidance, and training on procurement and contracting opportunities. Programs such as the DBE Supportive Services Program and the Business Training & Assistance Program provide specialized support to enhance business capacity and competitiveness. For more information, please visit https://dot.ca.gov/programs/civil-rights/supportive-services.

Small Business Administration (SBA)

SacRT encourages DBEs and small businesses to explore the Small Business Administration (SBA) resources to strengthen business management, record-keeping, and financial capabilities. The SBA offers valuable tools, training, and support tailored to meet the needs of small businesses. https://www.sba.gov/

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. https://www.transportation.gov/osdbu

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 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 https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/surety-bonds.
The Small Construction Business Development Program is a series of workshops designed to prepare a cohort of DBEs in the construction industries to increase bonding capacity and learn best practices to compete for government transportation contracts. The program is taught by subject matter experts in bonds, finance, accounting, contract assistance, safety regulations, and more! Participants can obtain a Certificate of Completion from the U.S. Department of Transportation to showcase their readiness. This is a live online and interactive program that is hosted twice a year: once in the spring and once in the fall. For more information, visit https://sbtrc-southwest.com/services/ or email SBTRCsouthwest@calasiancc.org.
SacRT encourages all businesses to use minority-owned financial institutions when seeking financial services. A list of such financial institutions can be found here: https://www.fdic.gov/minority-depository-institutions-program/minority-depository-institutions-list

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: https://www.calsavers.com/