Nebraska government bids for small agencies

Where Nebraska, 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

No Nebraska bids on our vetted list at the moment. New ones turn up most weeks; the free Monday email brings the best five.

Where Nebraska posts its bids

State bids: Materiel Purchasing Bureau - Bid Opportunities. The State Purchasing Bureau posts its invitations to bid, RFPs and RFQs here, along with bids being awarded and awarded bids. Viewing needs no account; the state has no vendor login portal.
Register as a vendor: Vendor Application (State Purchasing Bureau). You can bid without registering. If you win, you must register (Vendor Application plus Nebraska W-9 and ACH form) before a contract or purchase order is completed.
Technology buying: Nebraska Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). The state's central IT agency. Its site has no separate vendor bid portal; State Purchasing Bureau solicitations are posted on the Bid Opportunities page.
Small business certification: Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) - NDOT Civil Rights Office. The Nebraska Department of Transportation certifies firms under the federal USDOT DBE/ACDBE program, used mainly on transportation contracts. No separate state small business certification was found.
Free bid coaching: NBDC Nebraska 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 Omaha and Douglas County (Douglas County Purchasing)	Open bids	Ionwave
City of Lincoln and Lancaster County (Lincoln Purchasing)	Open bids	Ionwave
Sarpy County	Open bids	Ionwave
Omaha Public Schools	Open bids	own website
Metro Transit (Omaha)	Open bids	own website

Good to know

You do not need to register with the state to view or bid on State Purchasing Bureau solicitations; registration is required only if you are awarded. source
The City of Lincoln and Lancaster County share one Purchasing Division that buys for all City and County agencies, with bids on Ionwave. source
In Sarpy County, purchases over $70,000 require sealed bids, and purchases between $15,000 and $70,000 require three informal quotes. 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).