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Small Business Week

From Monday, April 28th to Friday, May 4th, Oakland will celebrate Small Business Week 2024 with a variety of virtual and in-person workshops, events and other activities for small business owners and entrepreneurs - free and open to all.

Posted: April 16th, 2021 4:39 PM

Last Updated: March 25th, 2024 3:22 PM

Small Business Week 2024 will feature in-person and virtual panels, workshops and resource fairs presented by partner organizations that are designed and curated by the City of Oakland Economic Development Department to provide relevant information, actionable strategies, resources and valuable connections to help Oakland businesses survive and thrive.

The Business Development Division of the Economic & Workforce Development Department has issued a Call for Presenters for the City of Oakland’s 2024 Small Business Week, which will run from April 28-May 4. Over the last ten years, we have hosted over 250 workshops and seminars that have been attended by over 2,000 participants. Every year, we continue to refine the program to celebrate small businesses and offer a variety of workshops to serve our entrepreneurial community.

For 2024 Small Business Week, we are seeking to partner with our non-profits, small businesses and for-profit partners to plan, market and deliver workshops that address the challenges faced by small businesses today, including taxes and accounting, safety and security, building a digital presence, commercial lease negotiations, access to capital, and transitioning from home-based or mobile business to a brick and mortar space. Oakland is fortunate to have a multitude of organizations that collectively offer an array of resources to our community. We look forward to taking advantage of this ecosystem to offer a well-rounded slate of activities.

This year, we are calling for proposals from non-profits, small businesses and for-profit partners to sponsor their 2024 Small Business Week activities and workshops. We strongly encourage collaborative proposals where organizations partner together. We welcome proposals for workshops and events that are fully virtual, in-person, and those with hybrid attendance options.

The City of Oakland will be providing sponsorship support of up to $1,000 per workshop to cover expenses associated with the activity. If you are interested in participating, please complete the online application here. The deadline to submit all proposals will be Wednesday, February 14.

Review Criteria

We are interested in workshops that will build the capacity of small businesses, particularly those owned by persons of color, women and non-English speakers.

The primary selection criteria for the proposals will be the overall quality of the proposal and whether the workshop addresses a timely topic or pressing need for small businesses. Hosts’ proven ability to host workshops and successfully gather/report participant data, as well as capabilities to record workshop presentations for use on the City website, are also factors. Proposals may include programming of multiple workshops or a single, multi-hour workshop. Other factors, such as overlap with other workshop topics, or logistical issues, will also be taken into account when making the final selections. We will consider providing stipends to and welcome proposals from non-profits, small businesses and also for-profit entities. Joint proposals will be given higher priority for consideration.

2023 Recorded Workshops & Webinars

Small Business Week 2023 Photos

Year-Round Assistance

Access City business support staff year-round at 7 Neighborhood Business Assistance locations throughout Oakland.

Related Documents

Contact Us

Juno Thomas
(510) 238-7952
jthomas@oaklandca.gov