Set yourself up for a successful bid on County projects with these insider tips.
Learn the ins and outs of the bid process with resources and opportunities that set you up for success.
We strive for open, fair, competitive procurements.
Explore Contracting Opportunities
Review our contract opportunities and awarded contracts for a better idea of how to approach your bid on a County contract.
Each bid is different. Please read your solicitation documents carefully. You’ll also find project manager contact information for any questions you may have. Our “solicitations” refer to the documents that outline the requirements for submitting a bid.
Submit a Bid: Do’s & Don’ts. Avoid common mistakes when preparing your bid.
Subscribe to the eGov Newsletter
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Subscribe to our newsletter and get advance notification of upcoming opportunities, training sessions, pre-bid meetings and other vendor events and notifications.
Event listings are also included in our Calendar of Upcoming Events.
Attend Vendor Support Events
Get more support and ask questions about the bid process and your specific RFP by attending vendor events including:
- Vendor Outreach (for Goods & Services only, attendance optional)
- Bidders Conferences (for Goods & Services, attendance usually optional)
- Pre-bid Events (for Construction only, attendance usually required)
SLEBs and smaller vendors are encouraged to attend these events.
Check out our calendar for upcoming events, scheduled vendor outreach, training, site visits and more.
Register for Required & Recommended Certifications
Don’t neglect certifications that are required for your bid, including:
- Department of Industrial Relations Certification: Required for Public Works Construction and Public Works Trucking only.
- SLEB Certification: Recommended for small, local and emerging businesses.
- Certified Green Business: Recommended.
Apply for SLEB Certification
Local vendors who are interested in County contracts should get SLEB certified for bid preference on County contracts.
Apply for Local Vendor Registration
Register as a Local Vendor: Not a small or emerging business? No problem. Sign up as a local vendor for listing in our vendor database.
Learn About SLEB Requirements & How to Meet Them
Prime vendors are those who have been awarded a County contract. County contracts require the prime vendors secure 20% participation by small, local and emerging businesses (SLEBs) unless the primes are SLEBs themselves.
If your business is large, out-of-county or otherwise not SLEB-qualified:
- Review the RFP to learn SLEB requirements for the contract
- Use the the SLEB database to find SLEB-certified partners
- Review the List of Attendees at Pre-bid Events and Bidders Conferences to identify interested SLEBs
- Contact the project manager to learn about posting subcontracting opportunities on the County’s website
SLEB Database: Find certified partners in our SLEB database.
SLEB Program Guide: Download the program overview.Construction vendors, additionally, will benefit from learning about:
- Enhanced Construction Outreach Program (ECOP): Find subcontracting mandates and bid preference
- Contractor Technical Assistance program (CTAP): Diverse businesses get capacity building and bonding assistance
Register for EZSourcing (Goods & Services)
For Goods & Services contracts, prospective vendors should register for the EZSourcing portal. We use the EZSourcing portal to:
- Communicate with vendors
- Post solicitation documents
- Post updates and addenda
- Receive your bid documents
Learn more about EZSourcing registration and Do’s & Don’ts.
For additional information about how vendors work with the County, download our Vendor Guide.