Supplier Diversity

We're committed to achieving the goals of awarding a minimum of 3% of our contract and procurement dollars to certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Firms (DVBE) and awarding 25% of our contract and procurement dollars to certified Small Business firms.

• We achieved a DVBE participation level of 6.06% of all contracting, exceeding and more than doubling the 3% goal set in 2005.
  • A total of 9.89% procurement of non-information technology IT goods.
  • A total of 13.12% procurement of IT goods and services.
• We exceeded the 25% goal and achieved 25.24% Small Business/Micro Business (SB/MB) participation level. Contracts and procurements remained consistent with the prior fiscal year.
  • A total of 26.74% to SB/MB prime contractors for the procurement of non-IT goods.
  • A total of 17.09% to MB prime contractors for the procurement of non-IT services.
  • A total of 37.02% to SB/MB prime contractors for the procurement of IT goods and services.

The DVBE Expenditure Report form was updated to include CA SB-588 (2019-2020) language and remediated for compliance.

• Effective January 1, 2021, SB-588 amended the CA Military and Veterans Code, Division 4, Chapter 6, Article 6, to include 999.7.
  • California law now states that "(a) The awarding department shall withhold, on a contract entered into on or after January 1, 2021, ten thousand dollars ($10,000) from the final payment, or the full final payment if less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), until a prime contractor complies with the certification requirements of subdivision (d) of Section 999.5. A prime contractor that fails to comply with the certification requirement shall, after notice, be allowed to cure the defect. Notwithstanding any other law, if, after at least 15 calendar days but not more than 30 calendar days from the date of notice, the prime contractor refuses to comply with the certification requirements, the awarding department shall permanently deduct ten thousand dollars ($10,000) from the final payment, or the full payment if less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000)."

Our Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Advocate, Ramon Rivera, received multiple awards from the Annual State Agency Recognition Awards ceremony, including:

• 21st Annual State Agency Recognition Awards – Silver Advocate of the Year Award and 22nd Annual State Agency Recognition Awards - Bronze Advocate of the Year Award. This award recognizes advocates throughout the state of California for exemplary work and success through outreach efforts, performance measurements, and notable improvements.
• 23rd Annual State Agency Recognition Awards – Secretary’s Special Achievement Award. This award recognizes the state department, agency or individual whose best practices, innovation, and advocacy efforts facilitated them in going above and beyond in exceeding the state’s Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise contracting goals.
• 24th Annual State Agency Recognition Awards – Bronze Advocate of the Year award. This award recognizes Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise advocates throughout the state of California for exemplary work and success through outreach efforts, performance measurements, and notable improvements.