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Discovery tool, not advice. Every figure is the published rule, not a decision on your case.
Tax credits

California Competes Tax Credit

California Competes Tax Credit (CCTC)

Status

Status not published

Three application periods per fiscal year. FY2026-2027 windows: 20 July 2026 - 10 August 2026; 4 January 2027 - 25 January 2027; 1 March 2027 - 15 March 2027.

Check with the funder
Amount
Not published

GO-Biz makes 'over $180 million available in tax credits' each year across three application periods; individual award sizes are negotiated and are not capped at a published figure. The credit is a non-refundable California income tax credit, so it is of limited immediate value to pre-revenue startups - GO-Biz created the separate California Competes Grant Program for 'businesses for whom a non-refundable tax credit would not provide a significant financial benefit'. To date '1,245 Businesses Awarded' and '170K Full-Time Jobs Committed'.

Funder

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)

public · regional

Deadline: cutoff — Three application periods per fiscal year. FY2026-2027 windows: 20 July 2026 - 10 August 2026; 4 January 2027 - 25 January 2027; 1 March 2027 - 15 March 2027.

Your odds
Not published

This funder does not publish a success rate. We rank it using the rate observed across similar programmes and label it as an estimate rather than implying we know.

Effort
moderate

Moderate — a form and supporting documents.

Who can apply

Open to any business, of any size or industry, that wants to locate in or stay and grow in California. A fixed share of credits each year is reserved for small businesses (under $2 million in gross receipts) - verify the current small-business set-aside percentage in the live programme rules. Selection uses 'fourteen different factors of evaluation, including number of full-time jobs being created, amount of investment, and strategic importance to the state or region'. State programme - no SAM.gov registration or UEI required.

How to apply

  1. Submit the online application during an open period, stating jobs to be created and investment to be made. — link
  2. Phase I: applications are ranked by cost-benefit ratio (credit requested divided by aggregate jobs and investment).
  3. Phase II: GO-Biz evaluates the top applications against fourteen factors and negotiates an agreement.
  4. The agreement is approved by the California Competes Tax Credit Committee; credits vest as milestones are met.

What you will need

Apply on the funder's site

Source. https://business.ca.gov/california-competes-tax-credit/ — checked 2026-08-14

"compete for over $180 million available in tax credits by applying in one of the three application periods each year"