California
State Resources
Home to major corporations such as Google, Apple and Intel, California is rich not only in technology, but in natural beauty. The extensive Pacific Coastline is home to numerous Naval bases, while the inviting climate and presence of a strong aerospace industry has made it home to three NASA facilities and numerous Air Force bases. The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) is the primary agency in California responsible for promoting job growth, economic development, and business assistance. Various industries such as Aerospace and Defense, Manufacturing, and High-Tech among others, can find relevant tools and information on the GO-Biz website.
CalTestBed
The CalTestBed Initiative is a voucher program assisting clean energy entrepreneurs in gaining access to critical testing facilities through a voucher to be utilized at one of the participating CalTestBeds. Vouchers can be made available to eligible companies with clean energy prototypes at a TRL between 5-7. A Directory of the CalTestBed facilities can be accessed here. It is recommended that interested parties contact New Energy Nexus California which administers the program to gather more details about this voucher program.
California Sustainable Energy Entrepreneur Development (CalSEED)
CalSEED is a California initiative, stemming from a 2016 partnership with the California Energy Commission, that supports early-stage entrepreneurs with funding to develop clean energy technologies. CalSEED provides direct, non-dilutive grants to advance clean energy innovations to commercialization ($200K for Concept Awards for technologies at TRL2-4 and $500K Prototype Award to winners of the annual Business Plan ). Awards have already been made for 2025 and interested parties are encouraged to read the guidelines on CalSEED’s website.
Conferences and Networking Opportunities
For small business working with the Department of Defense or NASA, Conferences provide a wonderful opportunity for networking.
The U.S. Naval Institute’s West 2026 Conference, February 10-12, 2026 in San Diego, CA
AIAA Aviation Conference, June 8-12, 2026 in San Diego, CA
