A Port of Long Beach program to broaden access to the hundreds of millions of dollars in competitive contracts it awards each year continues to be extraordinarily successful.

Last fiscal year, $54.4 million, or almost 45% of Port funds spent on eligible contracts through the Port’s award-winning Small Business Enterprise Program, went to purchase needed services and materials from companies defined as “small business enterprises” and “very small business enterprises.” Port staff participated in more than 40 outreach events throughout the year to boost participation in the program.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there are more than 36 million small businesses in the United States, which account for 99.9% of all businesses nationwide. The goal set for small business enterprise participation at the Port, which is the Harbor Department of the City of Long Beach, is 27%, one of the highest when compared to other California ports and local municipal agencies. The Port’s 44.6% utilization in the 2025 fiscal year is the third-highest since the SBE/VSBE program was founded in 2004.

“Our vision to double our cargo to 20 million containers annually by 2050 and build the Port of the Future is going to take a big team,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Dr. Noel Hacegaba. “We want to make sure smaller businesses – the backbone of the U.S. economy – are equipped with the knowledge and ability to compete and win port-related construction and professional services contract opportunities.”

“We believe in maximizing the benefits for the public we serve,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna. “Ensuring more of our business community has access to the economic opportunities associated with the Port is important because we need their skills to succeed, and we are very proud of these results and what they say.”

The thresholds of annual receipts and number of employees for classification as a small business vary widely by industry. The very small business eligibility is equivalent to the state of California’s microbusiness designation – businesses with $5 million or less in annual gross sales, averaged over the last three fiscal years, or manufacturers with 25 or fewer employees.

Aspiring contractors for the Port apply for posted contracts on the Port’s “Planet Bids” online system, where the business owners can pre-register their companies and check back for posted bids. Go to polb.com/businessopportunities and click on “Access the POLB Vendor Portal.”