Ontario, CA, Nov. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vendors First Inc., a member-driven fintech company backed by a leading investment bank, today announced its membership in Associated Builders and Contractors of Southern California (ABC SoCal), the Associated Builders and Contractors San Diego Chapter (ABC San Diego), Associated General Contractors of California (AGC of California), and the Southern California Contractors Association (SCCA).
Vendors First Inc.
Together, these moves put Vendors First in front of the California contractors who do public work and often wait up to 90 days to be paid for it.
Paid in 3 days, not 90
Government work is steady and reliable, but the payment schedule often isn't. Once an invoice is approved, a public agency can take up to 90 days to pay it. For landscapers, builders, IT providers, cleaning crews, suppliers, and other vendors, that wait can mean struggling to cover payroll and passing on new bids altogether.
Vendors First closes that gap. A vendor uploads an approved government invoice, Vendors First verifies it with the jurisdiction, and 95% of the invoice value lands in the vendor's Vendors First wallet within 72 hours. Vendors First then collects the full amount from the agency on its usual schedule. There's nothing to chase and nothing to repay, because it isn't a loan and creates no debt.
Pricing is a flat 5% per invoice, with 0.5% returned to the vendor as cash-back rewards. On a $50,000 approved invoice, that means $47,500 in the vendor's account by day three, plus $250 back. Applying is free.
"Vendors First is a member-driven company that helps small and midsize businesses sell jurisdictional invoices and discover new RFP opportunities through a relationship-focused approach. Members can network and work at dedicated clubs, earn cash-back rewards on purchased invoices, and share in annual profits." – David M. Dallenbach, Founder and CEO, Vendors First
More than fast cash
Vendors First is built as one platform with three jobs. Alongside 72-hour invoice payments, the company's Win Contracts service helps businesses compete for more public work through an RFP help desk, pricing guidance from procurement experts, AI-driven pricing and fit insights, education and templates through RFP Labs, and bid alerts matched from federal, state, and local sources. The Vendors First wallet lets vendors hold funds, pay their team and suppliers, and move money to their bank at any time.
The opportunity is significant. Small businesses received 23.3% of federal contract dollars in fiscal year 2024, and many skip bids that pay slowly because they can't float the costs while they wait. Faster payment lets them price to win instead of pricing to survive the wait.
Joining California's leading contractor associations
Vendors First is now a member of ABC SoCal, ABC San Diego, AGC of California, and SCCA, the trade groups many California contractors already belong to. Associated Builders and Contractors is a national construction industry trade association founded in 1950, with 67 chapters and more than 23,000 members. Its Southern California and San Diego chapters support contractors with training, safety education, labor compliance resources, advocacy, and business development and networking.
Through these memberships, Vendors First will connect with contractors through organizations they already know and trust, helping more of them learn about faster payment on public projects.
About Vendors First
Vendors First Inc. is a member-driven fintech company that helps small and midsize businesses get paid faster and win more government work. Founded in October 2025 and headquartered in Ontario, Calif., the company buys approved city, state, and federal invoices at 95% of their value and pays vendors within 72 hours, then collects from the agency directly. Members also get RFP support, pricing guidance, bid alerts, a built-in wallet, cash-back rewards on purchased invoices, and a share in annual profits. Vendors First is backed by a leading investment bank. Learn more at www.vendorsfirst.club.
About ABC San Diego and ABC Southern California
Associated Builders and Contractors’ San Diego and Southern California chapters help members develop people, win work, and deliver projects safely, ethically, and profitably. Guided by the merit shop philosophy, both offer construction training, apprenticeships, safety education, labor compliance resources, and political advocacy. ABC San Diego is based in Poway, Calif.; ABC SoCal is based in Orange, Calif., with offices in Anaheim, San Fernando, and Riverside. Learn more at abcsd.org and abcsocal.org.
Press Inquiries
David M Dallenbach,
Managing Partner
CEO, 908.816.5667
daved [at] vendorsfirst.club
https://www.vendorsfirst.club
