GERC is based in downtown San Bernardino. We help businesses and nonprofits here become eligible for government contracts and grant funding, and then do the work of winning them — registrations, certifications, capability statements, proposals and grant applications.
Guidance is not the same as implementation
A great deal of free advice exists for businesses that want to sell to government. Workshops, guides, counselling sessions, webinars. What is scarce is somebody who will actually complete the registration, prepare the certification application, write the capability statement and submit the proposal.
That is what GERC does. We are a hands-on implementation firm, not a general business consultancy. You can get told what to do in a lot of places; we do it with you.
What San Bernardino and the Inland Empire actually buy
This is a distinctive market, and the opportunities in it are not the same as Orange County’s or Los Angeles’s.
- Logistics, warehousing and trucking. The defining industry of the Inland Empire. Operators here compete for public agency contracts, goods-movement and freight infrastructure funding, and subcontracts under primes who need certified small businesses.
- Construction and public works. A large and continuing programme of county, city, school district and transit construction. Public works bidding runs on its own certification track.
- Transportation infrastructure. Regional transportation authorities and the agencies around Ontario International Airport are substantial buyers of both construction and professional services.
- Community and social services. A significant nonprofit sector competing for county, state and federal programme funding.
- Manufacturing and food processing, much of it eligible for workforce and modernization funding nobody has told them about.
Where to register locally
Beyond federal and state registration, the County of San Bernardino operates its own purchasing system with vendor registration, and the cities — San Bernardino, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Rialto, Redlands, Colton, Chino and Victorville — each maintain their own vendor lists, as do the school districts and special districts.
Most businesses register in one and stop. The registrations are free; the work is knowing which are worth your time and completing them properly.
Services most used in this market
- SAM.gov registration and UEI & entity validation — the federal floor
- California SB and SB-PW certification — SB-PW is the one that matters for construction and public works here
- Cal eProcure registration for state contracts
- Capability statements for approaching primes and agencies
- Proposal and RFP responses
- Grant writing and nonprofit formation with 501(c)(3) for the community sector
The sequence we take clients through
- Register — SAM.gov for federal work, Cal eProcure for California, plus the local agency portals that matter in your market
- Certify — California SB, Micro, SB-PW and DVBE, federal socio-economic programmes, and the local certifications that carry preference where you bid
- Position — a capability statement a contracting officer can act on, and codes chosen for the work you want
- Pursue — proposals and RFP responses, and grant applications where funding rather than contracting is the route
- Maintain — renewals and ongoing compliance, because eligibility lapses quietly
How we work with you
Our office is in downtown San Bernardino, so meeting in person is straightforward if that suits you. Most of the work does not require it — registrations, applications and proposals are built from documents and conversations. Clients choose whichever they prefer, and neither is treated as the lesser option.
Common questions
Where is your office?
255 N. D Street, Suite #200-XXVII, San Bernardino, CA 92401.
Do you work with businesses outside San Bernardino?
Yes, extensively — across Southern California and nationwide on federal work. San Bernardino is where we are based, not the limit of who we serve.
We are a trucking company. Is government work realistic for us?
Frequently, yes. Public agencies and primes in this region buy a great deal of goods movement, and small business certification carries real weight in how those contracts are awarded. Whether it is right for you depends on your capacity and your appetite for the compliance that comes with it.
Schedule a Consultation
- Call (909) 454-7076 — the fastest route. Monday to Friday.
- Book a consultation — pick a time that suits you.
- Email us about San Bernardino — opens a message already titled, so it reaches the right person.
If you only want to know whether you need this at all, ask. There is no charge for that conversation.
GERC is a woman-led advisory firm led by Dr. Shirley Ayangbah, a PhD legal economist with more than 14 years of experience. Registered in SAM.gov under CAGE code 11SD2, certified as a California Small Business (Micro) and for Public Works. NAICS 541611, 541618 and 541690.