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The Procurement Division is responsible for the overall conduct or oversight of all purchases of City of Raleigh equipment, supplies, and services. The City of Raleigh Procurement Division strives to provide all vendors and suppliers an opportunity to bid on goods, services, and construction projects.
Minority and Women-Owned Businesses
The City of Raleigh encourages and provides equal opportunity for certified Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) businesses to participate in all aspects of the City’s contracting and procurement programs to include - Professional Services; Goods and Other Services; and Construction.
The City of Raleigh prohibits discrimination in any manner on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, handicap, or sexual orientation and will pursue an affirmative policy of fostering, promoting and conducting business with women and minority-owned business enterprises. The City has an aspirational goal of 15% of the total contract amount to be performed by MWBE businesses on construction and repair projects of $300,000 or more, and contracts of $100,000 or more that include any State funding. For more information, please contact the MWBE Office at 919-996-5740 or the Procurement Division at 919-996-3240.
Registering to Do Business with the City
The first step for companies interested in doing business with the City is registering your company through the City’s Raleigh Supplier connection self-service portal.
The Raleigh Supplier connection self-service portal is the single source of information for companies looking to do business with the City of Raleigh. The information provided during the registration process will increase the visibility of your company to all departments.
Existing Vendors and Suppliers
If you are a current supplier to the City and do not have a login Username & Password for your Supplier Account, please go to the Raleigh Supplier Connection portal and use the “Create New User Accounts” link to start using the benefits of the Raleigh Supplier Connection.
The Raleigh Supplier Connection self-service portal will enable you to:
- Update your business information
- Upload and update your MWBE (Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise) certificate (if applicable)
- Track your payment activity
- Acknowledge Purchase Orders
- View announcements and upcoming events
The City is committed to using technology tools that will improve service and reduce costs. This is one facet in our ongoing effort to make doing business with City of Raleigh as easy as possible.
For supplier registration and update assistance, contact the Procurement Division, 919-996-4978.
Procurement Levels
GOODS (supplies, apparatus and equipment including lease purchases)
| Total Amount of Purchase | Procurement Method | Solicitation Requirements |
|---|---|---|
|
Up to $5,000 |
Informal Quote | User Department obtains one or more verbal, fax, online quote. |
| $5,000.01 to <$30,000 | Informal Bid | User Department attempts to obtain at least 3 written bids. |
| $30,000 to <$90,000 | Informal Bid | Procurement Division attempts to obtain at least 3 written bids. |
| $90,000 and above | Formal Bid | Procurement Division attempts to obtain at least 3 sealed bids. |
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES (only for architectural, engineering, design, surveying, & construction management at risk)
| Total Amount of Purchase | Procurement Method | Solicitation Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| All | Request for Qualifications (RFQ) | User Department solicits qualifications and selects highest ranked firm. |
All OTHER SERVICES (excludes architectural, engineering, design, surveying, & construction management at risk)
| Total Amount of Purchase | Procurement Method | Solicitations Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $5,000 | Informal Quote | User Department obtains one or more verbal, fax, online quote. |
| $5,000.01 to <$50,000 | Informal RFP | User Department obtains one or more documented written quote. |
| $50,000 and above | Formal RFP | User Department solicits for three or more sealed proposals to conduct RFP process and selects highest ranked proposer. |
CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIRS
| Total Amount of Purchase | Procurement Method | Solicitation Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $5,000 | Informal Quote | User Department obtains one or more verbal, fax, online quote. |
| $5,000.01 to <$500,000 | Informal Bid | User Department obtains one or more documented written bids. |
| $500,000 and above | Formal Bid | User Department attempts to obtain at least 3 sealed bids. If at least 3 bids are not received by bid due date, must advertise again. |
For more information about the City’s Procurement process, please contact the Procurement Division at 919-996-3240.
Current Bidding Opportunities
All City solicitations (Bids, RFPs, RFQs) $30,000 and above for Apparatus, Supplies, Materials, Equipment, Services, and Construction are posted on the North Carolina electronic Vendor Portal.
Please click on Search Open Bids in the menu bar near the top, then select NON-STATE – City of Raleigh from the Purchasing Agency drop-down menu, and then click Search.
IPS is a State of North Carolina free, online bid posting system that allows suppliers to view and download solicitations documents directly from the website. Using IPS enables the City to reach an increased number of potential suppliers including HUB certified MWBE suppliers.
When a solicitation is posted to IPS, an e-mail notification is automatically sent to each supplier that is registered in IPS for that category.Please note that Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view bid documents.
Important: Suppliers are responsible for checking the IPS website to obtain all solicitations documents for goods and services and addenda that may be issued to those solicitations. Only notification summaries for Construction bids are also posted to IPS. Suppliers are responsible for contacting the issuing City Department for Construction Bid documents. The City is not responsible for direct distribution of solicitations and addenda posted on the website to all suppliers who wish to submit a proposal. Acknowledgement of addenda will be made in the solicitation process.
Refer to the IPS Supplier Reference Guide for more information.
If you have any questions or issues using the IPS website, contact the City of Raleigh Procurement Division at 919-996-3240.
Public Notice
Pursuant to the General Statutes of the State of North Carolina and City of Raleigh policy, bids and proposals are invited and will be received by the City of Raleigh until the public bid or proposal deadline date and time specified. The posting on IPS serves as a public notice of advertisement for bids, RFPs, and RFQs. Solicitation documents and specifications can be downloaded directly from IPS or, if for Construction, can be obtained from the bid agent for that listing during regular office hours.
Per North Carolina General Statute 87-15, prospective bidders for construction contracts must be properly licensed.
All bidders must comply with nondiscrimination provisions. The City of Raleigh is an equal opportunity agency and invites small and minority contractors to bid. The City Council or its delegate reserves the right to reject any or all bids or proposals.
How We Procure
Procurement Card
Some City employees are issued a City of Raleigh procurement card which gives them authorization to make certain purchases in accordance with the City's Purchasing procedures. The procurement card program provides a more rapid turnaround of purchases for low dollar value goods and reduces paperwork
and handling costs. Currently, Bank of America provides this procurement card service for the City, and the cards can be used with suppliers that accept Visa credit cards.
Purchase Orders
The Procurement Division issues purchase orders for the procurement of equipment supplies, and some services. The City Purchase Order terms and conditions apply to all purchases of supplies, equipment, and services and must be considered as part of any quotation or bid.
Purchase Order Terms and Conditions
Contracts
Contracts are executed for professional services, other services and construction projects when the value of the contract is greater than $5,000. Contracts will have additional terms and conditions.
Surplus Disposal
Currently, the City of Raleigh is not holding auctions for disposal of surplus items. Most surplus items are now either consigned to the North Carolina State Surplus Property Agency for disposal or sold by online auction via GovDeals. For more information, see Surplus Equipment Auctions.
Sustainable Procurement
In accordance with the City of Raleigh 2007-2009 City Council Mission Statement, the City recognizes its responsibility to minimize negative impacts on human health and the environment while supporting a diverse, equitable, and vibrant community and economy. The City recognizes that the types of products and services the City buys have inherent social, human health, environmental and economic impacts, and that the City should make procurement decisions that embody the City’s commitment to sustainability whenever possible.
For more information, view our Sustainable Procurement Policy.