Unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions in this section shall govern the construction of this article:

(a) “California Office of the Small Business Advocate,” “CalOSBA,” or “office,” means the office created pursuant to Section 12098.

(b) “California Small Business Development Center Program” is comprised of the five regional networks of small business development centers operating in the state pursuant to a cooperative agreement between the fiscal agent and the federal Small Business Administration.

(c) “Committed nonstate local cash match” means funding awarded by a nonstate local source to a small business technical assistance center through a letter of intent, notice of award, or cash deposit.

(d) “Director” means the individual designated as “director” pursuant to Section 12098.1.

(e) “Federal small business technical assistance center” means an organization that contracts with a federal funding partner to operate a small business development center, a women’s business center, a veterans business outreach center, a manufacturing extension partnership center, a minority business development center, a procurement technical assistance center, or a federally funded similar program within this state to support small businesses.

(f) “Federal funding partner” means the federal Small Business Administration, federal Department of Commerce, federal Department of Defense, or any other federal agency with the authority to administer a small business technical assistance program in this state.

(g) “Fiscal agent” means the entity with which a funding partner contracts to administer small business technical assistance programs within a state or district. The fiscal agent shall be directly accountable to the funding partner for all aspects of the specified small business technical assistance program, including staffing, programming, outreach, securing any required matching funds to draw down federal funds or private funding sources, and reporting performance outcomes to operate the program in the fiscal agent’s area of responsibility.

(h)  “GO-Biz”” means the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.

(i) “Local cash match” means nonfederal funds that are spent on eligible program costs.

(j) “Manufacturing extension partnership center” means a California contractor recognized by the federal National Institute of Standards and Technology pursuant to the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-418), at which small manufacturers can obtain information and assistance on new technology acceleration, supply chain management, lean processing, export development, sustainable manufacturing practices, and other issues related to innovation.

(k) “Minority business development agency center” means an entity or physical location, recognized by the federal Department of Commerce, from which a minority-owned small business may receive consulting and technical services to expand to new markets, both foreign and domestic.

(l) “Minority business development agency export center” means an entity or physical location, recognized by the federal Department of Commerce, from which a minority-owned small business may receive consulting and technical services to increase access to capital, contracts, and foreign markets.

(m) “Private funding source” means any entity that makes grants, and includes corporate or private philanthropy or similarly established nongovernmental entities.

(n) “Procurement act” means Chapter 142 (commencing with Section 2411) of Part IV of Subtitle A of Title 10 of the United States Code, which governs the Procurement Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement program, administered by the federal Department of Defense.

(o) “Procurement technical assistance center” means an entity or physical location, recognized by the federal Department of Defense, from which a small business owner may receive free training on a variety of topics, including starting, operating, and expanding a small business.

(p) “Program” means the California Small Business Development Technical Assistance Program created pursuant to Section 12100.63 and administered in accordance with this article.

(q) “Small business act” means the Small Business Development Center Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-302), and any amendments to that act, which authorizes the Small Business Development Center Program, administered by the federal Small Business Administration.

(r) “Small business development center” means to an entity or physical location, recognized by the federal Small Business Administration, from which a small business owner or an aspiring entrepreneur may receive free one-on-one consulting and low at-cost training on a variety of topics, including starting, operating, and expanding a small business.

(s) “Small business technical assistance center” includes a federal small business technical assistance center or any established nonprofit community-based organization, exempt from federal income taxation pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, the mission of which includes economic empowerment of underserved microbusinesses or small businesses and entrepreneurs and that operates entrepreneurial or small business development programs which provide free or low-cost services to California’s underserved businesses and entrepreneurs to enable their launch and sustained growth.

(t) “Small Business Advocate” is the individual designated pursuant to Section 12098.1.

(u) “Veteran’s business act” means Section 657b of Title 15 of the United States Code, which establishes the Office of Veterans Business Development and governs veteran business outreach centers, administered by the federal Small Business Administration.

(v) “Veterans business center” means an entity or physical location, recognized by the federal Small Business Administration, from which a small business veteran owner or an aspiring veteran entrepreneur can receive free one-on-one consulting and low at-cost training on a variety of topics including starting, operating, and expanding a small business.

(w) “Women’s business act” means the Women’s Business Ownership Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-533), and any amendments to that act, administered by the federal Small Business Administration.

(x) “Women’s business center” means an entity or physical location, recognized by the federal Small Business Administration, from which a small business owner or an aspiring entrepreneur can receive free one-on-one consulting and low at-cost training on a variety of topics including starting, operating, and expanding a small business.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 68, Sec. 15. (SB 193) Effective June 30, 2022.)