San Diego County pilots help small businesses land contracts
San Diego County has launched two pilot programs — CORE and BUILD — to help local small businesses and nonprofits prepare for and win county contracts. The initiatives provide bookkeeping, compliance, bonding and insurance support aimed at boosting competitiveness and economic mobility across the region.
What are CORE and BUILD?
The county introduced two targeted pilots to reduce barriers for small contractors and community-based organizations competing for government work.
CORE (Compliance, Operations, and Readiness Education)
CORE offers hands-on bookkeeping, financial reporting, and compliance coaching so businesses can track performance, meet contracting requirements and demonstrate readiness. It’s designed for firms that need better financial systems and ongoing operational support to qualify for procurement opportunities.
BUILD (Bonding and Underwriting Insurance for Local Development)
BUILD helps companies obtain the bonding and insurance often required for public contracts and guides them through requests for proposals (RFPs), labor-compliance standards, and other procurement processes. BUILD reduces the upfront obstacles that keep smaller firms from bidding on larger projects.
Why the county launched the pilots
These pilot programs are part of a broader county effort to make procurement more equitable and to direct more public spending to local firms. San Diego County set a goal to award 25% of its roughly $2.2 billion in annual contracts to small, local businesses. Other complementary steps include raising the small local business preference from 5% to 15% and increasing use of requests for qualifications (RFQs) to lower barriers in the bidding process.
Who is running the programs
The pilots are a partnership between the County of San Diego and Founders First Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit that provides training, funding and resources to help small, employer-based businesses grow. Founders First’s supporters include national banks and foundations that help underwrite program services.
| Program | Main services | Who benefits | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| CORE | Bookkeeping, financial reporting, compliance coaching | Small businesses & nonprofits needing financial readiness | Prepare firms to qualify for county contracts |
| BUILD | Bonding, insurance access, RFP navigation, labor compliance | Firms needing bonds/insurance to bid on projects | Increase competitive bids from local firms |
How to apply and who should consider it
Small businesses and nonprofits based in San Diego County can apply through the County of San Diego’s small business page or Founders First’s local program portal. The pilots target businesses that are ready to pursue public contracts but face administrative or financial barriers — for example, companies without formal bookkeeping, lacking required insurance or unable to secure surety bonds.
Implications for local businesses and the economy
By addressing front-end barriers, the pilots aim to expand the pool of local contractors capable of handling public work, keeping more contract dollars in the community. Improved financial practices from CORE can help firms access additional capital, while BUILD’s bonding support opens opportunities on larger infrastructure and service contracts. Together, the programs may help smaller firms grow payrolls and hire locally, strengthening neighborhood-level economic mobility.
What to watch next
Key metrics to follow include how many businesses enroll, the number that successfully win county contracts within 12 months, and whether the county meets its 25% small-business spending target. Also watch for expanded timelines, budget adjustments, and potential rollouts of similar support for city-level procurement. Local business groups and chambers will likely monitor outcomes and push for scaling successful components.
- Who can apply?
San Diego County–based small businesses and nonprofits that need help with financial systems, bonding or insurance to pursue public contracts. - What does BUILD cover?
Assistance obtaining surety bonds and required insurance, plus help navigating RFPs and labor-compliance rules. - Will these programs cost participants?
Founders First and the county subsidize pilot services; applicants should check program pages for any fees or eligibility details. - How will success be measured?
By enrollment numbers, contracts won by participants, and progress toward the county’s 25% small-business procurement goal.
Practical takeaway: If your San Diego small business or nonprofit wants county work but lacks bookkeeping, bonding or insurance, apply to CORE or BUILD — they’re designed to remove those specific barriers and increase your chance to win public contracts.
San Diego pilots help small businesses win county contracts
