Small Business & Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise (SB & DVBE)

At the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) we are committed to fostering long-term relationships with certified Small Businesses (SB) and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBE) and providing all business types with equal access to contracting opportunities.

To support our commitment, CalPERS has a goal of awarding 25% of our contract and procurement dollars to certified SBs, and 3% of its contract and procurement dollars to certified DVBE organizations, in support of Executive Order S-02-06 (PDF) and the Military and Veterans Code 999(a).

Benefits of Being a Certified SBBenefits of Being a Certified DVBE
  • A 5% bid incentive on applicable state contracts
  • A streamlined procurement process for products and services valued between $5,000.01 and 250,000. This includes consulting, professional, goods, and information technology products and services.
  • Increased visibility for expanded business networking opportunities via inclusion in the Department of General Services (DGS) online Certified Firm Listing
  • Eligibility for benefits under the Prompt Payment Program Assistance, including higher interest rate penalties for late, undisputed invoice payments
  • An incentive of up to 5%, which is applied during the bid evaluation process
  • A streamlined procurement process for products and services valued between $5,000.01 and $250,000.00. This includes consulting, professional, goods, and information technology products and services.
  • Increased visibility for expanded business networking opportunities via inclusion in the Department of General Services (DGS) online Certified Firm Listing

Suppliers interested in doing business with CalPERS will need to re-certify or obtain one of the following certifications:

  • Small Business (SB)
  • Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE)

Learn more about these certification types from DGS.

Certification Requirements 

SB and DVBE firms must meet the following criteria to qualify for each classification below and become certified:

SB Certification CriteriaDVBE Certification Checklist
  • Must be independently owned and operated
  • Must not be dominant in its field of operation
  • Must have its principal located in California
  • Must be owned by a resident of California (Note: If your business is incorporated, its officers must be California residents.)
  • Must have no more than 100 employees and average annual gross receipts of $15 million or less over the past three tax years or be a manufacturer with 100 or fewer employees
  • Be a veteran of the U.S. military, naval, or air service
  • Have a service-connected disability of at least 10%
  • Be a California resident
  • Be at least 51% owned by one or more disabled veterans
  • Must be 100% owned by one or more disabled veterans and the veteran(s) must have a permanent home in California
  • Has one or more disabled veterans managing and controlling the daily business operations
  • Has its home office located in the U.S.

Get Certified

SB and DVBEs who meet the certification criteria and have never been certified to do business with the State of California should do the following: 

After you certify your business, access a list of current bid opportunities.

SB and DVBEs who meet the certification criteria and would like to renew their certification should do the following:

If you need assistance logging in to your Cal eProcure profile, contact the FI$Cal Service Center at (855) 421-6355. 

After you certify your business, access a list of current bid opportunities.

Not Eligible? Consider Subcontracting

After reviewing the criteria, if your organization is not eligible to become a certified SB or DVBE, you may consider subcontracting with one.

Since most CalPERS solicitations require participation of a certified DVBE, subcontracting with a certified DVBE can help you meet the minimum qualifications of a solicitation, and increase your chances of winning a contract with us.

Additionally, while SB participation is not required on all CalPERS contracts, you could consider partnering with a certified SB to benefit from SB contracting preferences.

Search the Department of General Services’ (DGS) online Certified Firm Listing to find California certified subcontractors to help meet your participation goals.

Contact the CalPERS SB & DVBE Advocate

The CalPERS advocate provides advocacy, outreach, and help with certification and finding a subcontractor. For more information, email sb_dvbeadvocate@calpers.ca.gov.
 

Doing Business With CalPERS

Resources

Forms & Publications