How to register as a vendor with Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government

Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government posts its solicitations on Louisville Procurement Portal (Bonfire).^[1] Competitive sealed bids and RFPs are posted on Bonfire for at least 7 days, and informal quotes for at least 3 days.

BidRover has no open bids tagged to Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government at the moment. Open bids across Kentucky are one click away.

1. 01

   Register on Louisville Procurement Portal vendor account (Bonfire)

   Start registration. Cost: No fee listed by Louisville Metro. Create a vendor account on the portal to respond to bids. The business must also be registered and compliant with the Louisville Metro Revenue Commission before award.^[1]

2. 02

   Have your Louisville Metro Revenue Commission registration

   Any business must be registered and compliant with LMRC before it can do business with Louisville Metro.^[1]

3. 03

   Have your HRC prequalification (contracts over $50,000)

   Contractors paid more than $50,000 in a fiscal year must be prequalified for affirmative action by the Human Relations Commission; it lasts one year.^[2]

4. 04

   Choose your commodity codes

   Notifications are sent by the codes in your vendor profile. Pick every code that describes your work, and revisit them when you add a service.

5. 05

   Get certified if you qualify

   HRC certification (minority-, women- and disability-owned businesses), through the Louisville Metro Human Relations Commission. The same system offers a Second Chance Supporting Business certification.^[2]

6. 06

   Watch the other buyers

   State agencies in Kentucky buy through the state portal, and school districts, transit agencies and utilities in the area usually post on their own sites. Registering with Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government does not register you with them.

Exact requirements vary by portal; the registration page linked above is the authority. Most ask for:

• Your legal business name and address exactly as registered with the state, and your federal tax ID (EIN, or SSN for some sole proprietors).
• A signed IRS Form W-9, which most buyers collect before they can pay you.
• Commodity codes (NIGP, UNSPSC or NAICS, depending on the portal) for every product and service you sell.
• A contact who will receive bid notices, plus any business license or registration the jurisdiction requires.
• Certificates of insurance and, for construction, bonding capacity: these are usually requested per bid rather than at registration.

Purchases of $7,501 to $50,000 need three quotes (one sought from an HRC-certified supplier); purchases over $50,000 require a competitive bid, RFP, or another approved method.^[1]

• Buyers must try to get one quote from the HRC Certified Supplier list on purchases from $7,501 to $50,000, so certification can get you invited.
• Vendors with contracts under $50,000 complete a separate HRC vendor registration instead of prequalification.

1. louisvilleky.gov/sites/default/files/2026-06/Procurement%20Policy%20Manual%20202606.pdf
2. louisvilleky.diversitycompliance.com/