04/01/2008 GAAS:154:08 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Print Version |
Gov. Schwarzenegger Announces Record Number of Certified Small and Disabled Veteran Businesses are Providing Goods and Services to the State of California
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced that California's small and disabled veteran businesses are registered at record-breaking numbers to compete for the
state's more than $9 billion a year in contracts, and exceeding goals he put
forth two years ago. There are now 16,005
certified small and disabled veteran businesses able to bid on state contracts,
up from 12,000 just one year ago.
"Small businesses are the backbone of our state's economy,"
said Governor Schwarzenegger. "Ensuring that small businesses have the tools
they need to succeed has always been a priority of my administration, and I'm
pleased that more small businesses and disabled veteran businesses are taking
advantage of one of the many tools available by registering and competing for
state contracts."
Under State and Consumer Services Agency (SCSA) Secretary
Rosario Marin's leadership, the Department of General Services Procurement
Division has made simplifying the small business certification process a
priority.
"In most cases, the new
online application process can be completed in twenty
minutes-a wonderful accomplishment, compared
to the former paper-based system that
oftentimes could take months," said SCSA Secretary Marin. "This is a prime example of technology successfully serving our
citizens and enabling our government to operate at
the speed of business."
Last year, more than $2.7 billion in contracting went to
small and disabled veteran businesses. This was more than 28.3 percent of all
the state's contract spending and exceeded the goal of 25 percent that Governor Schwarzenegger's
Executive Order (S-02-06) requires.
Expanding on these efforts is a high priority for the
administration this year. Representatives from the State and Consumer Services
Agency sponsored and attended more than 137 small and disabled veteran business
outreach events in 2007, and they plan to exceed that amount in 2008.
Ninety-eight
percent of California
businesses are defined as small, which means they have fewer than 100 employees
and less than $12 million in average gross annual receipts.
For
more information about how you can register your small or disabled veteran
business with the State of California,
go to www.getcertified.dgs.ca.gov.
The Governor has made helping small and disabled veteran
businesses a priority, including:
- Reforming workers' compensation with historic legislation that cut premiums by 65% - resulting in cumulative savings of more than $24 billion for all employers.
- Signing Executive Order S-11-06 increasing state assistance to small and disabled veteran businesses, inaugurating a $40 million fund to help small businesses secure adequate insurance for state projects and creating a Small Enterprise Officer.
- Launching the California Business Portal (www.calbusiness.ca.gov) a one-stop online resource that helps businesses open, relocate or expand in California.
- Inaugurating a new capital program with the Small Business Administration to give California's businesses access to $111 million in funding.
- Signing Executive Order S-02-06 to increase small business participation in state procurement and contracting processes.
- Vetoing dozens of bills deemed "job killers" by the California Chamber, including measures trying to rollback workers' compensation reforms, create incentives for frivolous litigation, and mandate new employer benefits.
- Extending $553 million in loan guarantees through the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program to help provide financing to over 4,000 small businesses that were previously denied credit.
