The  California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA)  recently announced grant awards to  technical assistance and grantmaking partners of the California Dream Fund Program. The California Dream Fund Program is a one-time $35 million grant program that will provide microgrants to seed entrepreneurship and small business creation in California.

To qualify for the Dream Fund program, small startup businesses must complete a rigorous training and consulting program with one of 17 technical assistance centers selected from CalOSBA’s Technical Assistance Expansion Program (TAEP) network. Businesses that complete the program and qualify for the grant will be eligible to receive a microgrant of up to $10,000. Lendistry has been selected to administer the grantmaking process.

“Access to capital is critical for small business success and when matched with Technical Assistance, it can make the difference between success and failure for small businesses,  and entrepreneurs, especially those who are under resourced to start,” said Tara Lynn Gray, Director of CalOSBA.  “California’s stellar TA network is uniquely qualified and well  positioned  to provide services to  diverse  groups and communities across the state.” 

The Dream Fund builds on CalOSBA’s existing technical assistance network, which is centered by the TAEP and Capital Infusion (CIP) programs. Since launching in 2018,  technical assistance centers funded by TAEP and  CIP  have  served over 500,000 small businesses  with free consulting and no to  low cost  training in  over 30 languages.

Visit  CalOSBA’s  new website for more information  and  view the  TAEP network. 

The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth and economic development efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and more. For more information, visit www.business.ca.gov.

The Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) helps support economic growth and innovation by working to ensure that California’s small businesses and entrepreneurs have the information, tools and resources they need to plan, launch, manage and grow their businesses successfully and be resilient. The CalOSBA serves to elevate their voices in state government and to advocate on their behalf to help ensure all aspiring and current small business owners and entrepreneurs are provided with the opportunity to access capital, access markets, and connect to the networks and resources they need to succeed.