How do I register as a vendor in Hawaii?

Register on HIePRO (Hawaii State eProcurement system); the state is piloting a replacement called Aloha eBUYS (https://hiepro.ehawaii.gov/welcome.html). Register in Hawaii Compliance Express (HCE) with your FEIN or SSN, Hawaii Tax ID and UI ID if applicable, and an IRS Tax Compliance Report; awards can only go to vendors HCE shows as compliant.

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

Hawaii 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 Procurement Office (SPO)

Vendor registrationHIePRO (Hawaii State eProcurement system); the state is piloting a replacement called Aloha eBUYS

Registration feeHIePRO registration and bidding are free, but an awarded vendor pays Tyler Hawaii 0.75% of the award (capped at $5,000) within 30 days; Hawaii Compliance Express costs $12 per year.

Where bids are postedHawaii Awards and Notices Data System (HANDS), https://hands.ehawaii.gov/, which automatically lists all solicitation notices including HIePRO ones (no registration needed to view); HIePRO solicitations must be answered inside HIePRO.

Open bids right now88 open Hawaii bids (28 closing this week, 26 new in the last 7 days)

How to register as a Hawaii vendor

Register in Hawaii Compliance Express (HCE) with your FEIN or SSN, Hawaii Tax ID and UI ID if applicable, and an IRS Tax Compliance Report; awards can only go to vendors HCE shows as compliant.
Go to HIePRO, click Go to SSO Login and sign in with, or create, a free myHawaii account with multi-factor authentication.
Select Register as a vendor and enter business and contact information, using the same FEIN or SSN as in HCE.
Search commodity codes by keyword and add every code and description that applies to your business.
Check the Affirmation box and click Submit Form to finish registration.

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 Hawaii's local agencies for you and emails the matches each morning.

Small business and certification programs

Hawaii Products Preference: SPO keeps a list of approved Hawaii-made products (for example food, soil amendments, plastic bags and manufactured items) that receive a preference, with approval varying by island.

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

Cities, counties and school districts

Each county runs its own purchasing office and site: City and County of Honolulu Division of Purchasing, Maui County Purchasing Division, Hawaii County Purchasing Division and Kauai County Division of Purchasing. Hawaii Compliance Express covers contracts with both state and county agencies.

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 Hawaii bid in one place.

Tips specific to Hawaii

Email notices only go out when a solicitation's commodity code and description exactly match one in your HIePRO profile, so add every code that applies.
Proof of compliance through HCE is required for any state or county contract of $2,500 or more; make sure the FEIN matches between HCE and HIePRO or HIePRO will show you as Not Compliant.
You are responsible for picking up addenda (in HIePRO, or on HANDS for non-HIePRO solicitations); late offers are not accepted for any reason.
HIePRO vendor registration help: 808-695-4620; SPO: 808-586-0554.