Technical Assistance Program (TAP) 2025-2026

The 2025/26 Technical Assistance Program (TAP), administered by the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), offers approximately $23 million in funding to support established technical assistance Centers across California. These Centers provide one-on-one, confidential advising and training for small businesses and entrepreneurs, with a focus on underserved groups including women, minorities, veterans, and businesses in rural, low-wealth, or disaster-impacted areas. The program stems from the Technical Assistance Expansion Program (TAEP), initiated in 2018 and codified in 2022 under the California Small Business Development Technical Assistance Act. TAP’s primary goal is to enhance the business ecosystem in California by ensuring that small businesses have access to free or low-cost services that support their creation, sustainability, and growth. It funds established Centers with federal or private match agreements that align with TAP’s objectives and demonstrate a history of effective service delivery. Applications must reflect a clear strategy for using funds to build on existing services or expand into underserved communities through evidence-based approaches, collaboration, and scalable best practices. The funding must be used during the grant period of October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. Centers must match the requested funding amount with a federal or private funding source; state funds or CalOSBA’s own SSBCI-TA awards are ineligible as matching sources. The minimum funding request per Center is $25,000. Allowable uses include Direct Technical Assistance (personnel and contractor time for training or advising), limited research and marketing activities, and administrative costs related directly to program oversight. Only up to 20% of the award may be allocated to research, marketing, and administration combined. Funds may not be used for indirect costs, per diem, food, or general administrative overhead. Eligibility is limited to federally designated technical assistance providers and 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) nonprofits with a mission aligned with the economic empowerment of small and underserved businesses. Applicants must have an existing federal or private funding agreement extending through the grant period or a demonstrated plan to secure one. Applicants may apply as individual Centers, as a voluntary group of Centers with separate scopes and budgets, or as a formal network under a single fiscal authority. Each Center must submit a unique proposal narrative and supporting documentation. Applications open July 15, 2025, and close August 8, 2025, at 4:59:59 PM PDT. A required Letter of Intent must be submitted by July 31, 2025. The application and LOI are submitted through the CalOSBA online portal. Two pre-bid webinars are scheduled for July 16 and July 23, 2025, and a TAP Data Model Introduction Webinar is scheduled for July 17, 2025. Awards will be announced starting September 15, 2025, with grant agreements issued by September 22, 2025. Each application must include a proposal narrative, Community Access Plan, budget justification, and proof of match funding, among other documents. Scoring is based on various criteria totaling 150 points, including organizational capacity, scope of work, financial management, and supplemental activities. The TAP Data Model must be used for performance reporting, and applicants are subject to monitoring, financial audits, and at least one site visit during the grant period. All reports and reimbursement requests must be submitted quarterly through CalOSBA’s online portal. Questions may be directed to SBTAEP@gobiz.ca.gov, with copies to Cassie Fortes at cassie.fortes@gobiz.ca.gov.

Submit applications at least 48 hours before deadline. Use templates. Do not use AI tools or plagiarized content.