The Journal

Reporting on supplier diversity.

Working coverage of certifications, corporate procurement, federal contracting, financing, and the operators making each work for diverse-owned businesses. Every piece checked against primary sources.

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Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of San Diego: registration, certification, and bids

The City of San Diego runs all formal solicitations through PlanetBids, and you must be registered there to submit a bid. Its …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of San Antonio: registration, certification, and bids

San Antonio runs every solicitation through one e-procurement system, SAePS, and rewards locally certified small businesses with scoring preferences. This guide walks …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Sacramento: registration, certification, and bids

Sacramento runs vendor registration through its PeopleSoft eSupplier portal and posts solicitations on PlanetBids. Here's how the two systems fit together, where …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Portland: registration, certification, and bids

Portland runs vendor registration through its BuySpeed portal and recognizes state COBID certification for MBE, WBE, ESB, DBE, and SDVBE firms. Here …

Jul 27, 2026 · Will Moss

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Pittsburgh: registration, certification, and bids

Pittsburgh runs vendor registration through its Beacon portal and posts solicitations on an OpenGov e-procurement site. The city sets participation goals of …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Phoenix: registration, certification, and bids

Phoenix splits vendor onboarding across two systems: procurePHX for registration and payment, and an OpenGov portal for bids. Here is how both …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of New Orleans: registration, certification, and bids

New Orleans runs vendor registration through its BRASS supplier portal and certifies local diverse firms as SLDBEs through the Office of Supplier …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Nashville: registration, certification, and bids

Metro Nashville runs all vendor registration and bidding through one Oracle iSupplier portal. Here is how to register, when self-identifying as MBE …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Minneapolis: registration, certification, and bids

Minneapolis runs vendor registration through its eSupplier portal and recognizes the regional Central Certification (CERT) program for MBE, WBE, and SBE status. …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Milwaukee: registration, certification, and bids

The City of Milwaukee runs bids through Bonfire and notifies vendors through E-Notify. Its Small Business Enterprise certification is run by the …

Jul 27, 2026 · Will Moss

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Memphis: registration, certification, and bids

Registering with the City of Memphis takes an online supplier form plus a signed W-9 faxed to Purchasing the same day. SMWBE …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Los Angeles: registration, certification, and bids

The City of Los Angeles runs its vendor registration, certification, and bid postings through one free portal called RAMP. Get registered, request …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Las Vegas: registration, certification, and bids

The City of Las Vegas runs procurement through its iSupplier portal and posts most solicitations on DemandStar. Here's how to register, where …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Kansas City: registration, certification, and bids

Kansas City splits vendor registration in two: non-construction suppliers register in Bonfire, construction suppliers use the KCMO Plan Room. This guide walks …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Indianapolis: registration, certification, and bids

Indianapolis sets MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBE participation goals on its contracts and runs vendor registration through indy.gov. Here is how to register, who certifies diverse …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Houston: registration, certification, and bids

Houston runs vendor registration and bidding through Beacon Bid, and S/MWBE certification through its Office of Business Opportunity. This guide walks the …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Fort Worth: registration, certification, and bids

Fort Worth runs vendor registration through its PeopleSoft Supplier Portal and posts every solicitation issued on or after January 1, 2024 through …

Jul 27, 2026 · Will Moss

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Detroit: registration, certification, and bids

Detroit registers suppliers through the EUNA/Bonfire e-bidding portal and runs payments through Oracle. Getting CRIO-certified as a Detroit-based, minority-, or woman-owned business …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Denver: registration, certification, and bids

Denver runs vendor registration through the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System (BidNet Direct) and certifies diverse firms through the Division of Small Business …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Dallas: registration, certification, and bids

Dallas runs its vendor registration and bids through the Bonfire portal, and counts M/WBE participation through certifiers it recognizes, not its own …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Columbus: registration, certification, and bids

Columbus runs vendor registration, free two-year MBE/WBE certification, and bid postings through a single Vendor Services portal launched in 2021. Here is …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Cleveland: registration, certification, and bids

Cleveland runs two parallel systems you have to set up: vendor registration through its OpenGov procurement portal, and Office of Equal Opportunity …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Cincinnati: registration, certification, and bids

Cincinnati runs two separate systems: Vendor Self Service for registration and bidding, and a Diversity Compliance portal for SBE/MBE/WBE certification. MBE and …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to become a vendor for the City of Charlotte: registration, certification, and bids

Charlotte runs supplier registration, its Charlotte Business INClusion (CBI) certification, and bid postings through three separate systems. This guide walks you through …

Jul 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

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