Santa Cruz County Small Business Development Center

11/03/2026

Skip the big box stores and shop local this holiday season! 🎁 Join us at the Cabrillo College Holiday Market & Biz Expo on Saturday, Dec. 5th. Discover unique crafts, designs, and merchandise created by our talented student entrepreneurs. Plus, stick around at noon to watch students pitch their startup ideas live and cast your vote for the Community Choice Award! 🏆

📅 Dec 5, 2026 | 11 AM - 2 PM 📍 Multicultural Student Center, Cabrillo College (Aptos Campus) 🎟️ Free to attend!

Support the next generation of Santa Cruz business owners. See you there!

The SBDC provides both virtual and in-person trainings and workshops designed for business development on a variety of key topics.

09/17/2026

Introducing Santa Cruz HardTech

Santa Cruz County has always built physical things. From the early days of Plantronics and Seagate to the modern innovations of Joby Aviation, Cruz Foam, Capstan Medical, and Ambient Photonics, our region has a deep lineage of hardware innovation. But building physical products is inherently difficult. It takes longer, costs more upfront, and requires specialized space, equipment, and supply chains long before you ever need a traditional growth plan. For too long, local founders have lacked a "front door" for the specialized support that physical engineering requires.

Today, we are changing that.

We are thrilled to officially launch Santa Cruz HardTech, a dedicated SBDC initiative to help our local hardware, physical AI, robotics, biotech, and cleantech founders get built, funded, and staffed right here in Santa Cruz County.

Get Involved Today

Building something physical? It takes two minutes to set up your free member profile. You'll gain immediate access to the founder directory, our Discord community, and early registration for technical trainings.

Create Your Free Profile at SantaCruzHardTech.org

09/17/2026

Santa Cruz SBDC Partners with Luminarium Pacifica for Startup World Cup!

We are excited to announce our official partnership with Luminarium Pacifica to support the Startup World Cup Santa Cruz Regional on October 17, 2026, at The Catalyst in downtown Santa Cruz!

This high-energy, full-day event brings together regional founders, visionary tech builders, investors, and creatives across key sectors including Artificial Intelligence, Creative Tech, AgTech & Future of Food, and Human Performance & Wellness.
The Stakes: Compete for a $1 Million Investment Prize

Widely recognized as the largest and most prestigious startup pitch competition in the world, the Startup World Cup spans over 100 regional events globally. Selected local founders will pitch live before a panel of venture capitalists and industry leaders. The crowned Santa Cruz Regional Champion will advance to the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco to compete for a $1,000,000 USD investment prize!

How Santa Cruz SBDC Is Supporting You:

Free Advisory & Mentorship: SBDC advisors and mentors will be supporting founders throughout the process. You can book free 1-on-1 strategic advising sessions directly with us ahead of the competition.

Exclusive Pitch Prep Session: We are hosting a virtual Pitching Tips + Q&A workshop for all event applicants to help sharpen your story and metrics before taking the stage.

Celebration: Be sure to stop by our dedicated SBDC table and connect in the Winner's Chill-Out Lounge, sponsored by Santa Cruz SBDC!

Key Event Details & Deadlines:
📅 Event Date: October 17, 2026
📍 Venue: The Catalyst (1011 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz, CA)
💡 Early Bird Pitch Applications: $75 (Increases to $99.99 after September 17)
👉 Ready to apply or get tickets? Visit luminarium.io to submit your pitch application and claim your spot on stage.

October 17, 2026 in Santa Cruz. AI, creative technology, human performance, agtech and radical art converge. Apply to pitch and advance to the Startup World Cup Grand Finale.

07/21/2026

Fuel Your Business Growth!

Grab a spot at our casual meet-up at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. Meet representatives from over six local lending institutions, explore funding options, and make connections that can help your business succeed.

Co-hosted by Santa Cruz Area Chamber and Santa Cruz SBDC.

Made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of our title sponsor BMO and Gold sponsor California Coastal Rural Development Corporation (Cal Coastal)

Location: Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History in Abbott Square
Date: Friday July 24th
Time: 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Admission: Free
Refreshments: Light refreshments provided

05/29/2026

Santa Cruz health tech startups—are you ready to scale? 🧬🚀

We’ve teamed up with ENRICHers and Venture & Capital International to host the Post-BIO International Convention 2026 Extension Program!

If you are a Biotech, Medtech, or Digital Health startup looking to secure U.S. capital and accelerate your market growth, this is for you. From June 29 to July 1, selected startups will head to the SF Bay Area for an intensive Silicon Valley Acceleration Week, featuring pitch workshops and a curated funding summit with over 30 investors.

As part of the Norcal SBDC network, we are proud to offer this game-changing program to our clients for FREE.

⏳ Applications close June 8, 2026.
Visit https://forms.gle/i6KDqW4rEz4rQaos6 to apply today!

As part of the Northern California Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program, Santa Cruz SBDC focuses on advising small business clients located in the Santa Cruz SBDC network coverage area. Funded in part through a grant with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA or HSU Sponsored Programs Foundation.

Welcome to the application form for the Post-BIO International Convention 2026 (San Diego, CA) - Extension Program! This application is designed to identify and support high-growth Global Health Tech (Biotech and Medtech) startups seeking capital and growth. It provides the perfect platform to showc...

05/28/2026

💰 Money Matters: Finding and Securing Funding for Your Business 💰

Ready to start or expand your business but need the capital to make it happen? We’ve got you covered! Join us for an exclusive workshop in partnership with Cal Coastal and Comerica Bank. You'll learn directly from the experts on how to confidently approach lenders and access the funds you need.

What we’ll cover:
The step-by-step loan application process
How to prepare a winning business plan
Insider tips for a successful loan application
A live Q&A session to answer your specific questions

Meet the Experts:
🎙️ Lee Takikawa – President & CEO, CalCoastal Rural Development Corp.
🎙️ Keith Holtaway – Business Advisor, Santa Cruz SBDC.

🎁 Bonus: Lunch is provided, AND you'll be entered into a prize drawing to win a brand-new laptop computer! 💻✨

🗓️ When: Friday, July 10, 2026 | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM

📍 Where: Cabrillo College, Aptos

🎟️ Admission: Free, but Pre-Registration is REQUIRED!

🔗 Secure your spot now! Head to the link in our bio or visit www.santacruzsbdc.org/events to register.

As part of the Northern California Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program, Santa Cruz SBDC focuses on advising small business clients located in the Santa Cruz SBDC network coverage area. Funded in part through a grant with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA or HSU Sponsored Programs Foundation.

The SBDC provides free of charge help to start, manage, or grow your business. Our sole focus is on helping you improve your bottom line.

05/07/2026

Launch Your Business in Santa Cruz County

Starting a business is a major milestone, but the initial logistics can be overwhelming. Join local expert, Keith Holtaway, for a free, 90-minute webinar designed to simplify the process and get you moving forward with confidence.
We are skipping the fluff and focusing on the essential foundations you need to get off the ground.

Date: May 12, 2026
Time: 2-3:30PM
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Register: https://www.santacruzsbdc.org/events