Gov. 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. There are now 16,005 certified small and disabled veteran businesses able to bid on state contracts, up from 12,000 a year ago. “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,” Schwarzenegger said. 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,” Marin said. Ninety-eight percent of California businesses are “small,” or have fewer than 100 employees and less than $12 million in average gross annual receipts.
