History of the APEX Accelerator Program
The APEX Accelerators, formally known as the Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP), was authorized by Congress in 1985 to expand the number of businesses capable of participating in government contracts. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the FY 2020 ordered the PTAP to move to Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (USD(A&S)); and the DoD Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) began to manage and operate PTAP with a new name, APEX Accelerators, effective FY 2023. The APEX Accelerators program focuses on building a strong, sustainable, and resilient U.S. supply chains by assisting a wide range of businesses that pursue and perform under contracts with the DoD, other federal agencies, state and local governments and with government prime contractors.
We’re here to help you succeed in the government marketplace!
Our Vision
We envision a level playing field in the government marketplace, where all businesses have equitable access to resources and support for contracting success.”
Norcal APEX Accelerator is a government funded nonprofit formed to help small businesses find, bid on, and win contracts with federal, state, local, and tribal agencies. Our no-cost services include one-on-one counseling, custom bid matching, training, resources, and networking opportunities.
Over ninety APEX Accelerators – with over 300 local offices – form a nationwide network of more than 600 dedicated procurement professionals who work to help local businesses successfully sell their products and services to government agencies. In 2019, the APEX Accelerator network served over 54,000 clients and helped them win over $28 billion in government contracts and subcontracts.
Our Mission
Our mission is to advance entrepreneurship and economic growth through procurement technical assistance for all businesses in Northern California. We help our clients identify, obtain, and perform on prime and subcontracting opportunities with local, state, tribal and federal governments. We support all businesses in our service area, with an outreach emphasis on underserved businesses such as women, minority, LGBTQ+, and veteran owned businesses, and businesses located in low-wealth, rural, or disaster impacted areas.
Our Service Area
Before you apply, please make sure your company is located within our service area of Northern California counties:
- Del Norte
- Humboldt
- Shasta
- Siskiyou
- Trinity
- Mendocino
- Sonoma
- Napa
- Solano
- Marin
- Contra Costa
- San Francisco
- Alameda
- San Mateo
- Santa Clara
We can help businesses within these 15 counties ONLY
We help our clients with…
- Determining whether federal, state, or local contracting is right for your business
- Identifying the agencies that buy what your business sells or offers (market
research) - Registering with government procurement portals (VIPR, SAM.gov)
- Completing state and local certifications (SB, DVBE, DBE, MBE, WBE)
- Completing federal certifications (SB, 8(a), WOSB/EDWOSB, HUBZone, SDVOSB/VOSB)
- Meeting requirements necessary to compete for contracts
- Interpreting complex regulations
- Reviewing bids and providing guidance and feedback on proposals
- Optimizing capabilities statements and marketing strategy
All services are offered to our clients at NO COST
The journey to successful procurement can be long,
but you don’t have to go at it alone!
Check below to see if you qualify for Norcal APEX Accelerator services
