Mayor Karen Bass has announced the launch of the Business Navigator, a centralized online platform designed to streamline access to permits, resources, and procurement opportunities for local small businesses.
The Navigator is now live at business.lacity.gov and aims to simplify engagement with City services for entrepreneurs and business owners.
The announcement was made at the 2025 ProcureLA Summit, a public event held at the Audrey Irmas Pavilion in Koreatown. The summit drew more than 300 small business owners and entrepreneurs and featured collaboration with the Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (PACE) and other community partners. Event photos and b-roll are available [here].
“Los Angeles is building the future, and we’re making sure small businesses help lead the way,” said Mayor Bass during the event. “This summit breaks down barriers, creates access, and sends a clear message: we are investing in local talent to deliver real results for our communities.”
The Business Navigator is part of an ongoing initiative from the Mayor’s Office to improve City Hall accessibility for local businesses. The online hub consolidates tools and information, making it easier for entrepreneurs to navigate permits, certification, and public contract opportunities.
The ProcureLA Program, launched in October 2024 during the Sports & Entertainment Procurement Summit, aims to prepare small and minority-owned businesses for upcoming major contracting opportunities, particularly in advance of global events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The program is operated in partnership with PACE, a nonprofit organization that provides procurement training and facilitates connections between small vendors and large contracting entities in both the public and private sectors.
“ProcureLA is about equity, access and action,” said Kerry Doi, President and CEO of PACE. “We’re proud to work alongside Mayor Bass to connect small and minority-owned businesses with real procurement opportunities that will help them grow, hire, and contribute meaningfully to the fabric of Los Angeles.”
Since the implementation of Executive Directive 4, which prioritizes small business support, the City has helped local entrepreneurs access more than $18 million in funding. In a recent initiative at LAX, Mayor Bass celebrated a major investment through the $5 billion Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC), which awarded contracts to 13 first-time, local prime contractors. This initiative is part of LAWA’s Capital Improvement Program, focused on creating economic opportunities for small, local, and minority-owned businesses.
