How to register as a vendor with City of Seattle

City of Seattle posts its solicitations on City of Seattle Procurement Portal (OpenGov).^[1] Public works, consultant and goods solicitations are all on the OpenGov portal; small purchases are also announced on The Buy Line.

Changed recently: The Online Business Directory was retired on August 15, 2024 and kept read-only only until December 31, 2025; vendors now register in OpenGov.^[1]

BidRover has no open bids tagged to City of Seattle at the moment. Open bids across Washington are one click away.

1. 01

   Register on OpenGov Procurement vendor account

   Start registration. Cost: No fee listed by the City. Sign up, subscribe to the City of Seattle portal, and select at least one NAICS code. You can add WMBE or other certifications to your company profile. Registering does not pre-approve you to do business with the City.^[1]

2. 02

   Have your Seattle business license and Washington State business license

   Winning bidders with a physical nexus in city limits must hold or obtain a Seattle business license and a Washington State business license when applicable.^[2]

3. 03

   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.

4. 04

   Get certified if you qualify

   WMBE (state-certified or self-identified), through the City of Seattle Purchasing and Contracting; Washington State Office of Minority and Women's Business Enterprises (OMWBE). Firms at least 51% owned by women or minorities can self-identify in the portal; federally funded projects need DBE or state WMBE certification.^[3]

5. 05

   Watch the other buyers

   State agencies in Washington buy through the state portal, and school districts, transit agencies and utilities in the area usually post on their own sites. Registering with City of Seattle 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.

Without a blanket contract, departments may buy directly from vendors for purchases under $10,000 each and up to $71,000 a year.^[4]

• Older seattle.gov pages that tell you to register in the Online Business Directory are out of date.
• Most City projects require a WMBE inclusion plan, so line up WMBE partners before you bid.

1. seattle.gov/purchasing-and-contracting/doing-business-with-the-city/faq-on-citys-new-procurement-system/faq-replacement-of-the-online-business-directory-with-procurement-portal
2. seattle.gov/purchasing-and-contracting/doing-business-with-the-city
3. seattle.gov/purchasing-and-contracting/social-equity/wmbe
4. seattle.gov/purchasing-and-contracting/purchasing