Minority and small business owners will have a chance to tell the state of California about their experiences with government contracts at a meeting in Eureka on Nov. 12. 

The California Department of General Services wants to know how business owners who run a certified small business or are women, minorities, LGBTQ people, and disabled veterans feel about their experiences getting state contracts. The CDGS is also trying to measure how much state contracting money is going towards small businesses.

They’re holding a meeting in Eureka partly because it’s the largest city on the North Coast and they want to reach as many communities as possible, but also because of its proximity to the Yurok and Wiyot tribal nations. 

The funding for the study comes from State Assembly Bill 2019. Passed in 2022, it mandates that 25% of all money spent on state contracts go towards small businesses. 

“We’re aiming to improve business for all businesses,” the Disparity Study Assistant Project Manager Maria Norris told the Outpost. 

The meeting will be conducted by Mason Tillman Associates, a consulting fir. For more information on the study, click here. To register, go here.