UCLA is excited to announce the Small Business First program, which is ready for your business as of April 1, 2021.

Small Business First is a ‘set-aside’ program that increases contracting and procurement opportunities for certified Small Businesses (SB) and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBE) by using a streamlined quotation process. The quotation-to-award process is designed to make the procurement process easier to encourage your participation.

Faster, Easier, Empowering

Small Business First calls for all UC contracts and procurements between $10,000 and $250,000 to be awarded to a SB or DVBE, with several exceptions. To make an award, only one quote is required for purchases below $100,000, and only two quotes are required for procurements above $100,000 up to $250,000.

All certified small businesses are welcome to participate in the program. Please see the list of suggested certifying agencies.

Prepare to participate in the Small Business First program

1. Get certified as SB/DVBE by one of the certifying agencies
2. Register with SupplierOne to be found by UCLA buyers for upcoming bids
3. Register with CalUsource to participate in bidding opportunities across the UC system
4. Read UC's Terms & Conditions to ensure you can meet them
5. Email SupplierDiversity@finance.ucla.edu to be placed on UCLA’s Small Business List

UCLA is committed to helping small, local and disadvantaged businesses. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please email SupplierDiversity@finance.ucla.edu.

DISCLAIMER: Completing these steps does not automatically establish your business as an approved UCLA supplier. When a department identifies a need for your goods and/or services, the department will initiate UCLA’s vendor onboarding process. Once invited, the supplier must review and comply with the UC Terms and Conditions and complete the vendor registration. The supplier must be fully approved before being added to UCLA’s procurement system.