Prince George's County changed its procurement law twice in eight months. Four rules now decide who wins County work:
- Since January 23, 2026, purchases from $5,000 to $250,000 call for quotes from County-based small businesses.
- Procurements of $1 million or more carry a 15% County-based minority business requirement.
- Since July 24, 2026, at least a fifth of County construction is reserved for local prime contractors.
- County certifications now last three years instead of two.
If your business is in the County, those rules were written for you. Here is the order to do things in.
Step 1: Register as an Ariba supplier
The County runs procurement on SAP Ariba. Every vendor must be registered in the County's SAP Ariba Business Network to get solicitation notices, respond to a solicitation and submit invoices. The County asks you to finish registration at least 48 hours before a bid is due, because a registration started on deadline day can miss it.
Current solicitations post on SAP Business Network Discovery, which the County calls SPEED (Strategic Purchasing and Efficient Evaluation Domain). For help with registration, the County's SOAR Center (Supplier Opportunities Access and Resources) takes walk-ins Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 1400 McCormick Drive, Suite 136A, Largo. SAP's own supplier support line is 1-800-872-1727.
Prince George's County Public Schools is a separate buyer with its own procurement. The SOAR Center has hosted its procurement outlook forum, which is a good place to meet its buyers.
Step 2: Get a County certification
The Supplier Development and Diversity Division (SDDD) is the County's certifying agency. You apply in the Certification and Compliance System at mypgc.diversitycompliance.com, and SDDD runs a monthly Certification Overview Training that covers each certification. There are four of them, and they stack.
County-based business. You qualify if you meet any one of these tests:
- More than half of your full-time employees live in the County
- Owners of more than half the business live in the County
- More than half of your assets, excluding bank accounts, are in the County
- More than half of your revenue comes from transactions in the County
County-based small business (CBSB). A County-based business that is also small under Maryland's procurement definition (COMAR 21.01.02.01) or under SBA's size standards in 13 CFR Part 121. This is the certification that unlocks the small purchase quotes below.
County-based minority business enterprise (CBMBE). Since July 24, 2026, a business already certified as an MBE or DBE whose certificate shows a principal address, place of operation or domicile in the County is automatically treated as a CBMBE and County-based business, with no separate application. The old requirement to prove 12 months of County operation with a tax return is gone. SDDD's directory notes that some MBE listings are imported from Maryland, Baltimore City and Howard County certifications, and it encourages those firms to complete the County's reciprocal MBE application. Our Maryland MBE certification guide covers the state certificate.
County-located business. The lightest tier, with the smallest preference.
All four are now valid for three years. The Purchasing Agent can grant a temporary certification for up to 90 days after you apply, and renewals can use an expedited path: a "no change" affidavit, a recent federal tax return and a Maryland SDAT certificate of good standing.
The preference points, by certification
On competitive bids and proposals, the County discounts a certified prime bidder's price, or adds points to a proposal's score:
| Prime bidder's certification | Bid discount or added points |
|---|---|
| County-based minority business enterprise | 15% |
| County-based small business | 12% |
| County-based business | 10% |
| MBE or DBE | 5% |
| County-located business | 3% |
A firm gets only its highest category, capped at 15%, with one exception. The Locally-owned and Operated Business preference adds 5% on top. It applies to a County-based, CBSB or CBMBE-certified firm that is at least 51% owned by County residents who also run its daily operations. To claim it, the owners file an affidavit of at least 12 months' domicile in the County, their most recent full-year income tax return and proof of majority ownership with the bid. A resident-owned CBMBE can therefore reach 20%.
The four 2025 and 2026 laws, and what they mean for you
| Law | Effective | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| CB-100-2025 | January 23, 2026 | Purchases from $5,000 to $250,000 need at least three quotes when practicable, and two must come from County-based small businesses. Purchases up to $5,000 run with minimal formality, including purchase cards. |
| CB-070-2025 | January 23, 2026 | At least 15% County-based MBE participation on procurements valued at $1 million or more. |
| CB-026-2026 | July 24, 2026 | Three-year certifications, automatic CBMBE status for County-addressed MBEs and DBEs, and the 5% locally-owned preference. |
| CB-028-2026 | July 24, 2026 | At least 20% of construction-related procurements across County government, other than roads and bridges, reserved for primes that are Locally-owned and Operated Businesses or CBMBEs. Reserved solicitations must be posted free on an Office of Procurement website. |
For a small County firm, the small purchase rule is the realistic first contract. A buyer spending $40,000 has to seek quotes from County-based small businesses before going elsewhere, and a CBSB certification is what puts you on that list. For a County-based construction firm, the 20% reserve means competing as a prime against other local firms rather than as a subcontractor to a national one. Bonding capacity decides how large a prime contract you can take, and our surety bond guide for small contractors covers how sureties size it.
The County's Council also adopted CR-086-2025, a Community Wealth Building Compact: a voluntary pledge for anchor institutions in the County to spend at least 10% of their annual procurement with Black-owned businesses. It binds no one, but it tells you which hospitals, universities and employers have committed publicly, and that list is worth asking for.
The Supply Schedule: pre-approved contracts for local firms
The Prince George's County Supply Schedule (PGCSS) sets up pre-negotiated contracts with CBSBs and CBMBEs for products and services County agencies buy again and again. Once you are on a schedule, agencies can order from you without running a new solicitation each time. Apply after you have registered as a vendor and been certified. The team is at supplyschedule@co.pg.md.us.
Forecast and get in front of buyers
- Procurement forecast. The County publishes a solicitation forecast and its active contracts. Find the contract for your category, note who holds it and when it ends, and plan your bid from there.
- GROW Prince George's County. A monthly readiness training on the fourth Thursday, 1 to 3 p.m.
- Access in Action. A monthly session on the third Wednesday, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., each with a different topic and guest. September 2026's guest was a surety firm.
- Vendor Day. The County's one-hour introductions to agency buyers are paused, so the SOAR events are the main way in for now.
Contacts
- Office of Procurement: 1400 McCormick Drive, Suite 200, Largo, MD 20774. 301-883-6400, pgcprocurement@co.pg.md.us
- SOAR Center: 1400 McCormick Drive, Suite 136A, Largo. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Supply Schedule: supplyschedule@co.pg.md.us
Where this fits
Prince George's sits between Washington, DC and Montgomery County, and the three run separate systems. Our Montgomery County vendor guide and Washington, DC vendor guide cover the neighbors. For federally funded road, transit and airport work in the County, you need DBE certification from the state, which our Maryland DBE guide covers, and for state contracts the Maryland vendor guide walks eMaryland Marketplace Advantage.
