How do I register as a vendor in Colorado?

Register on ColoradoVSS (Colorado Vendor Self Service, part of the CORE financial system) (https://prd.co.cgiadvantage.com/PRDVSS1X1/Advantage4). Research which agencies buy what you sell; procurement is decentralized and most agencies run their own solicitations (see the ACCESS Colorado guide).

How to Bid on Government Contracts in Colorado (2026 Guide)

Colorado buys through a central state purchasing office, and its cities, counties and school districts buy on their own as well. To sell to the state you register once as a vendor, then watch for solicitations in your commodity codes and respond by the deadline. This page covers the state registration steps, where bids are posted and the programs that help small businesses, with links to the official pages.

Central purchasing officeState Purchasing and Contracts Office (SPCO), Office of the State Controller

Vendor registrationColoradoVSS (Colorado Vendor Self Service, part of the CORE financial system)

Registration feeFree (registration in ColoradoVSS is optional but suggested)

Where bids are postedColoradoVSS (https://prd.co.cgiadvantage.com/PRDVSS1X1/Advantage4) for most state agencies; the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System (https://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado) for CDOT, the University of Colorado, Colorado State University and several other universities; BidExpress for CDOT highway construction. The SPCO Solicitations page (https://osc.colorado.gov/spco/solicitations) lists which unit uses which site.

Open bids right now4,057 open Colorado bids (1,157 closing this week, 1,414 new in the last 7 days)

How to register as a Colorado vendor

Research which agencies buy what you sell; procurement is decentralized and most agencies run their own solicitations (see the ACCESS Colorado guide).
Have a copy of your W-9 ready, then select Register on ColoradoVSS.
Enter your TIN from the W-9 without dashes and a valid email address, then complete email verification.
Add NIGP commodity codes (use * wildcards around search words) so you get emails about newly published solicitations, and pick your Business Types.
Check other sites the state uses: CDOT and many universities post on the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System (BidNet Direct) instead of ColoradoVSS.

Registration gets you on the state's list, but it rarely sends you every relevant bid. Many agencies, and most local governments, post on their own portals. A free BidsNexus alert watches the state portal and Colorado's local agencies for you and emails the matches each morning.

Small business and certification programs

Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) contracting goal: Colorado has a 3% contracting goal for SDVOSBs; suppliers must be registered and verified through the SBA to qualify.
Statewide Supplier and Contractor Diversity Program, Statewide Equity Office: Offers resources to vendors for goods, services and construction and runs the Statewide Bond Assistance Program.
Minority Business Office of Colorado (OEDIT): Listed by SPCO as an OEDIT business development resource for minority-owned businesses.

Federal set-asides work differently from state programs; see our guide to small business set-asides.

Cities, counties and school districts

State Price Agreements can be used by local governments and certified nonprofits. The Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System (BidNet Direct) is used by several state universities and CDOT; SPCO points to the DOLA Local Government Information System to identify the state's municipalities, counties and special districts.

Local bids are where most small businesses win their first contracts: smaller dollar values, shorter responses and less competition from national firms. BidsNexus collects them into one list, so you can browse every open Colorado bid in one place.

Tips specific to Colorado

SPCO recommends checking the solicitation websites regularly even with email alerts on, so opportunities are not missed.
Colorado verifies vendor records through Dun and Bradstreet.
IT purchases are consolidated under the Governor's Office of Information Technology (OIT) by statute.
ColoradoVSS help desk: vsshelp@state.co.us, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.