SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

Welcome to the California High-Speed Rail Authority Small Business Program. The California High-Speed Rail Authority is committed to small, disabled, disadvantaged, and diverse businesses playing a major role in building the statewide high-speed rail project. This commitment will serve to inspire business growth, job creation and workforce development opportunities while building the vitality of California’s high-speed rail program.

Throughout this website you’ll find information about the program and how to participate in this historic project. The Small Business dashboard, below, illustrates an array of user-friendly visual and graphical data, including breakdowns of the small businesses working on the high-speed rail program and total dollars expended to date. This dashboard is regularly updated to reflect the latest publicly available information.

Big goals for small businesses

The California High-Speed Rail Authority is committed to small businesses playing a major role in building the statewide high-speed rail project. Previously, the HSR Small Business Program goal was expressed as a single combined percentage. As of November 2023, the revised goals have stand-alone utilization requirements that are subject to the state or federal regulations that govern the business certifications, Small Business (SB), Small Business for the Purpose of Public Works (SB-PW), Micro Business (MB), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE), accepted by the Authority.

GET CONNECTED

Small Business Participation as of November 30, 2025

Objectives

The SB Program prioritizes businesses with the following approved certifications: DBE, DVBE, MB, SB, and SB-PW, by offering outreach, engagement, and supportive services that improve access to opportunities and increase competitiveness. Efforts to meet required small business participation goals include a robust outreach plan, networking with potential contractors, a Small Business newsletter and a Business Advisory Council which serves as a forum to provide essential input to the Authority that impact the small business community.

Taking Care of Small Business

The Authority has committed to several recommendations proposed by our stakeholders and by the small business community. These recommendations include prompt payment provisions in contracts and additional small business resources. In addition, the Authority has created multiple spaces for small businesses to voice ideas and concerns, including Meet the Prime events, Small Business Outreach Workshops, and the Business Advisory Council.
While the Authority is not a small business certifying agency, the Authority recognizes all small business certifications from the California Department of General ServicesExternal Link, the California Unified Certification ProgramExternal Link, and the U.S. Small Business Administration 8(a) ProgramExternal Link. To learn more about how to get certified and partner with the Authority in four easy steps, visit, Get on Board.

Happening Now

Save the date! Join us at our Small Business events and workshops to learn How to Do Business with the High-Speed Rail Authority, How to Get Certified, and more. Visit the HSR Events page.

Small Business Newsletter

Read more about the small businesses working on California’s High-Speed Rail Program in the latest issue of our Small Business Newsletter, Investing in California’s Small Businesses.

Get Connected

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

Small Business Assistance

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

Contact Us

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.

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

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.