Procurement in Colorado is decentralized, which means that most State agencies are delegated to conduct their own solicitations. Businesses wanting to sell goods or services to State government must promote themselves to individual State agencies and actively search for opportunities on ColoradoVSS and other solicitation websites. The State Purchasing & Contracts Office has developed ACCESSColorado as a resource to help guide active and prospective suppliers through the procurement process.
Three Steps
There are three steps to doing business with the State of Colorado that suppliers should follow in order to be successful: Research, Register, and Access. Suppliers who are interested should start with the How To Do Business With the State webinar/presentation and the ACCESSColorado Guide below.
STEP 1 | RESEARCH
Procurement in Colorado is decentralized, meaning many state agencies are delegated to do their own solicitations. This means suppliers who are interested in doing business with the State should conduct research in order to determine which agencies may have a need for your goods or services, and to create a more effective strategy. Below are some suggested resources for research.
- How To Do Business With the State | Recorded webinar to help suppliers understand Colorado State procurement, PDF of slides.
- ACCESSColorado Guide | A printable PDF with information on the Three Steps, purchasing terminologies, and additional resources. (Coming soon)
- Colorado.gov | A list of all state agencies. Their individual websites contain a lot of information on their programs, goals, and missions.
- State Price Agreements | These are contracts for commonly used goods and services which can be used by all state agencies, institutions of higher education, local governments, and certified nonprofits.
- Previous Awards | Understanding what goods and services agencies have purchased in the past can provide insight into what they might need in the future.
- The Governor's Office of State Planning & Budgeting | Identify potential opportunities by reviewing agency plans and budgets.
STEP 2 | REGISTER
Suppliers should be aware of where solicitations are being posted, and should also consider registering with these sites.
- ColoradoVSS | This is where most State agencies are posting their solicitations. Registration is not required but is suggested. It's free, and registration allows you to sign up for commodity code-based alerts on upcoming solicitations.
- Technical support, during registration and while using ColoradoVSS, is available from our Help Desk at vsshelp@state.co.us.
- Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Business Center | CDOT is the one State agency that maintains its own system for solicitation, rather than using ColoradoVSS.
- Solicitations | The SPCO solicitations page contains links to other sites where solicitations are posted.
STEP 3 | ACCESS
By this step, suppliers should be ready to access and use the wide variety of resources available on the SPCO website, access information and contacts by attending supplier events, and access and respond to solicitations.
- Supplier Events | The SPCO posts registration information for events across the State. The majority of these events aren't hosted by SPCO however, so suppliers should follow the links to the event pages for any specific questions.
- Supplier Email List | Sign up to receive notification of upcoming supplier-focused events and training opportunities.
- State of Colorado Procurement Officials | Contact information for Procurement Officials of State agencies, Institutions of Higher Education, and community colleges.
- Additional State & Higher Education Resources
- Statewide Equity Office | The Statewide Supplier & Contractor Diversity Program offers resources to all vendors interested in both goods & services and construction, and provides information on the Statewide Bond Assistance Program.
- Colorado Department of Local Affairs | The Local Government Information System (LGIS) contains information on all active local governments (municipalities, counties, and special districts) in Colorado.
- Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) | The Business Center website maintains information for contractors, consultants, vendors, and suppliers who are interested in doing business with CDOT.
- Colorado Governor's Office of Internet Technology (OIT) | IT procurements are consolidated under OIT by statute. This website contains information on OIT's procurement and vendor services, as well as a contact form.
- Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) | OEDIT offers a variety of programs and services to support business development including the Minority Business Office and the Colorado Small Business Development Network.
- Colorado Office of the State Architect | Overview and contact information for suppliers interested in the State's capital construction process and controlled maintenance.
- Colorado Secretary of State | Information and other resources for business organizations doing business within the State of Colorado.
- Invitation to Negotiate | An overview of the process for vendors.
- Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) Contracting Goal |Colorado has a 3% contracting goal for SDVOSBs. Suppliers must be registered and verified through the Small Business Administration to qualify.
- State Government Organizational Chart | Chart showing branches of State government, including a breakdown of Departments and Divisions.
- University of Colorado Commodity & Contact List | Contact information by commodity for CU.
- Business Assistance Resources
- Local Purchasing and National Cooperative Associations
For more information contact:
Barbara Musick
barbara.musick@state.co.us