Get on Board

California is the largest and most richly diverse state in the nation, with an equally diverse business population. The Authority is committed to advance the equitable inclusion and utilization of California’s SBs in state procurement and contracting opportunities. The Small Business Program supports under-utilized and under-represented populations, including small, micro, disadvantaged, disabled veteran, minority businesses (inclusive of African American, Asian, Hispanic, Tribal and Native American, LGBTQ+), and women-owned businesses. Supply chain diversity strengthens all communities and the economic sustainability of the state.

As a Small Business this is the place to start. Linked here are the virtual places that a Small Business can visit to build their business, get certified, seek contracts, and so much more. Included are various resources, like our printable HSR 101-104 Factsheets. Think of them as a back-to-basics series on getting a small business from ground zero to state contract ready. The series includes:

Small Business 101 on Certification
Small Business 102 on Preparing to Bid
Small Business 103 on steps after Winning the Bid
And finally, Small Business 104 Post Award activities

Explore and learn how to Get on Board with the Authority in four easy steps, from certification, to preparing to bid, steps after winning the bid, and post award activities.

Jump To
Get Certified | Prepare to Bid | Win The Bid | Understand the Contract | Your Business Is On Board

Become a Small Business Partner in Four Easy Steps

Step 1 - GET CERTIFIED: Learn about the certifications that the Authority accepts, how to get certified and next steps you can take once you are certified.

Getting properly certified is the first step in securing work on the High-Speed Rail Program. The Authority is not a small business certifying agency but recognizes the small business certifications from the California Department of General Services, the California Unified Certification Program, and the Small Business Administration.

Learn more about getting certified

Step 2 - PREPARE TO BID: Learn about the Authority bidding process, and key resources to utilize in preparing to bid.

Having a clear plan prior to bidding on a contract will improve your chances of a successful bid. The bidding process is supported by the Prime Small Business Liaison Officer, the Authority Small Business Advocate, the Authority Small Business Team, and the Authority Small Business Compliance Team.

Learn more about preparing to bid

Step 3 - WON THE BID: Learn about the considerations and preparation to take before signing the awarded contract.

Knowing what questions to ask and evaluating several considerations before you sign a contract will help confirm if the contract is right for your small business.

Learn more about winning the bid

Step 4 - POST AWARD EVENT: Learn about post award considerations, key contacts and resources, that will assist you in building a successful business relationship.

Reading the contract thoroughly and understanding the roles and responsibilities of key players – both within the Authority and your Prime – will be important for successfully navigating forward and troubleshooting issues if needed.

Learn more about post-award strategies

Step 5 - YOUR BUSINESS IS ON BOARD: Welcome aboard!

Take advantage of small business events held regularly across the state for ongoing networking and updates on High-Speed Rail progress and activities. Outreach events are listed in the HSR Small Business Newsletter and online. Visit Build HSR for construction updates, interactive maps and images of the project.

Learn more about what’s next

Connect with the High-Speed Rail Small Business

Visit the Authority’s Small Business Program webpage for information including a program overview, certifications we recognize, how to get certified, access to our vendor registry, and more.

Learn the various ways small businesses can connect with the Authority by visiting, Get Connected.

Sign up and select to receive Small Business emails, workshop and event announcements, by visiting: https://hsr.ca.gov/contact/ and selecting the “Small Business/ConnectHSR” Email Alert

For Small Business general inquiries and help, contact the High-Speed Rail Authority Small Business Program SBProgram@hsr.ca.gov or give us a call at (916) 431-2930.

Submit Small Business contract compliance and dispute resolution inquiries, via the High-Speed Rail Authority Small Business Assistance Form.

For more information about the High-Speed Rail Small Business Program, visit https://hsr.ca.gov/smallbusiness.

Accessibility & Translations

Accessibility:
- Please see our accessibility webpage. If you have difficulty accessing any material on this site because of a disability, please contact Authority Headquarters at (916) 324-1541, or use the California Relay Service at 711 for TTY/TTD assistance.
Translations:
- The California High-Speed Rail Authority makes every effort to ensure the website is translated in a linguistically and culturally appropriate way. Consideration is placed on language vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, style and level of speech to reflect the target audience’s culture and society.
- If you need a particular document on the Authority’s website translated, you may submit a document translation request to the Title VI Coordinator via email at TitleVICoordinator@hsr.ca.gov.

Contact

Small Business Program
(916) 431-2930
sbprogram@hsr.ca.gov

The California High-Speed Rail Authority makes every effort to ensure the website and its contents meet mandated ADA requirements as per the California State mandated Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level AA standard. If you are looking for a particular document not located on the California High-Speed Rail Authority website, you may make a request for the document under the Public Records Act through the Public Records Act page. If you have any questions about the website or its contents, please contact the Authority at info@hsr.ca.gov.