| State economic development agency | California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) |
| State SBIR/STTR match or Phase 0 grant | None found |
| State small-business or supplier-diversity certification | State program (see below) |
| Signature grant programs cataloged | 3 programs |
The California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as California's lead point of contact for economic development and job creation. GO-Biz administers the California Competes Tax Credit (CalCompetes), the CalCompetes Grant, the California Small Business Loan Guarantee Program, and serves as the operator for the Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA). The IBank (California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank) provides direct lending for larger projects.
Primary site: California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)
Negotiated state income-tax credit for businesses creating jobs and making capital investments in California. Application cycles open three times per fiscal year. Small-business set-aside of 25% of total allocation per cycle.
Cash-grant companion to the CalCompetes tax credit, targeting companies that cannot utilize the non-refundable credit. Same application cycle as the tax-credit program. Highly competitive.
Microgrant program targeting new microbusinesses (typically 1-5 employees) that complete a state-affiliated entrepreneurship training program. Operated through California's Small Business Technical Assistance Expansion Program network.
California runs its own certification or preference program for state contracting. Certification can open state set-asides, participation goals or preferences; federal SBA certifications (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB) cover federal contracts.
We found no state-funded SBIR/STTR match or Phase 0 grant in California when we checked in September 2026. Small businesses apply directly to the federal agencies listed at SBIR.gov; the state's Small Business Development Center can help with proposals.
California Grants Portal handles applications for many California state programs. Some programs still use their own application pages, so confirm the link on each program page before drafting.
Portal: California Grants Portal
Federal grants reach businesses in California through several pass-through channels: HUD CDBG-State dollars administered by California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) that sub-grant to localities for economic development; EDA public-works and economic-adjustment grants, awarded through regional EDA offices to local governments, economic development districts and nonprofits; USDA Rural Development Business and Industry loan guarantees for rural businesses, plus Rural Business Development Grants that go to towns, tribes and nonprofits (not to businesses directly) to support local small businesses; and SBA loan programs (7(a), 504, Microloan) accessed via local lenders, alongside Treasury-certified CDFI lenders. Business eligibility for each channel depends on entity size, location (rural vs urban), and use-of-funds.
CDBG state administrator: California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD)
EDA regional contact: US EDA regional office
State programs cover one half of the picture. Federal grant opportunities are listed on Grants.gov; the eligibility floor often overlaps with state programs. Use the GrantProbe Grant Map to search open federal opportunities by keyword, category and agency, and read our federal grants for startups primer for the framework behind every match.
Need help beyond business grants? The California section of the GrantProbe State Assistance Finder links the official rental, LIHEAP, SNAP, Medicaid and small-business programs for California.
California's economic development agency administers several grant and incentive programs for businesses, but most flagship programs require either an existing operation, a defined hiring commitment, or capital investment milestones. Pure pre-revenue startups should usually pair federal SBIR/STTR (where R&D-eligible) with any state or local innovation programs and CDFI lending. See the signature programs section above for the named California programs and their eligibility thresholds.
We found no state-funded SBIR/STTR match or Phase 0 grant in California as of September 2026. Small businesses apply directly to the federal agencies listed at SBIR.gov.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program flows from HUD to California's state agency (California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD)), which sub-grants to localities. Businesses do not apply directly to the state for CDBG dollars; they apply to participating cities or counties for economic development sub-awards (job creation, blight remediation, low-to-moderate-income workforce). Contact your local economic development office for current sub-awards.
California Grants Portal handles applications for many state programs. Some programs still use their own pages, so confirm the link on each program page.