Federal Cooperative Agreement Award Summary

The Office of the Secretary of Defense awarded a Cooperative Agreement totaling $642,208.97 to Riverside Community College District (RCCD) under the Procurement Technical Assistance For Business Firms program (CFDA 12.002) effective May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027. Under this award, RCCD will establish and maintain an APEX Accelerator center in California to provide free procurement technical assistance to business entities, including newly started enterprises. The center will deliver comprehensive counseling, training, and guidance to help businesses of all sizes navigate federal, state, and local government contracting processes, identify contracting opportunities, and develop competitive proposals for government contracts.

The APEX Accelerator will serve as a resource hub designed to strengthen the domestic supply chain by enabling broader business participation in government contracting. Services will support diverse business populations, including minority-owned firms and enterprises in underserved regions. RCCD's designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution and state-controlled higher education entity positions the organization to effectively leverage its institutional capacity and community connections to deliver these procurement assistance services to the Inland Empire region and broader California business community.