Illinois government bids for small agencies

Where Illinois, its cities and counties post their bids, how to register, and the open ones that suit a small web, software, video or marketing agency right now.

Open right now (2)

Web-based environmental health & safety software, Chicago Transit Authority Pro ★★★☆☆ Chicago Transit Authority due 2026-11-20 Web Software
Hosting & maintenance of a web-based risk management system, Chicago Transit Authority Pro ★★★☆☆ Chicago Transit Authority due 2026-11-30 Web Software IT services

Where Illinois posts its bids

State bids: Illinois BidBuy. BidBuy is the State of Illinois eProcurement system where state agencies post bids and RFPs. The public page has an Open Bids link for browsing; you need a vendor account to respond.
Register as a vendor: BidBuy vendor registration (free). Registering in BidBuy gets you notices of upcoming bid opportunities and lets you submit proposals. If you register in the Illinois Procurement Gateway (IPG), a BidBuy account is created for you.
Technology buying: Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT). DoIT buys IT, telecom, cloud, application and support services for state agencies. Its vendor guidance is to register in IPG and BidBuy and follow the state buying plan and BidBuy for IT solicitations.
Small business certification: Business Enterprise Program (BEP). BEP certifies businesses owned by minorities, women and persons with disabilities; it is run by the Commission on Equity and Inclusion, and the state goal is to award 30% of state contracts to BEP firms. A separate Small Business Set-Aside Program, certified through IPG, reserves some state contracts for small businesses.
Free bid coaching: Illinois APEX Accelerator: the state's APEX Accelerator helps small businesses with registrations and proposals at no cost.

Big city, county and agency buyers

Each of these runs its own bid page, and most want you registered in their system too.

Buyer	Bid page	Runs on
City of Chicago	Open bids	City of Chicago eProcurement (iSupplier)
Cook County	Open bids	Bonfire
Chicago Public Schools	Open bids	Bonfire
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)	Open bids	Bonfire
DuPage County	Open bids	DemandStar
City of Aurora	Open bids	OpenGov Procurement

Good to know

There is no charge for vendors to register in BidBuy, and businesses registered in the Illinois Procurement Gateway (IPG) already have a BidBuy account created for them. source
If your aggregate bids, proposals or contracts with Illinois agencies and universities exceed $50,000 a year, you must register with the Illinois State Board of Elections. source
The Small Business Set-Aside Program shelters small businesses from competing with large ones; the state's goal is to award 10% of state contracts to qualified small businesses, and IPG is how you get certified. source
Cook County no longer accepts paper bids; vendors must register in Bonfire to receive notices of county contract opportunities. source

Before you bid

Registering takes time, so do it before you find the perfect bid: how to get registered, and how to write a capability statement (with a free template).