Illinois BidBuy: How to Register and Find State Contracts

Illinois BidBuy at bidbuy.illinois.gov is where state bids are posted. BidBuy is the State of Illinois’ e-procurement system. State agencies and public universities use it to post solicitations and receive bids. If you want to sell to Illinois, registering in BidBuy is one of the first steps.

BidBuy vs. the Illinois Procurement Gateway (IPG)

Illinois has two related systems:

• Illinois Procurement Gateway (IPG): where vendors submit registration and disclosure information the state reviews before awarding contracts
• BidBuy: where you find solicitations and submit bids

If you register in the IPG first, your commodity selections carry over to BidBuy as a “mini-registration”, which you then log in to complete.

Step 1: Register as a vendor

Self-register on the BidBuy site, or complete the mini-registration created from your IPG record. Enter your business information, contacts and tax details.

Step 2: Choose your NIGP commodity codes

BidBuy uses NIGP codes to send you notices of matching bids. Choose every code that describes what you sell. Codes you add later in BidBuy don’t automatically update in the IPG (and vice versa), so keep both current (Illinois CPO BidBuy FAQ).

Step 3: Set up notifications and reminders

Make sure your notification email is monitored. Use BidBuy’s reminders so you don’t miss question deadlines or due dates.

Step 4: Find and submit bids

Search open bids by keyword or commodity, download the documents, and submit your response in BidBuy before the deadline. Late or incomplete bids are rejected.

Add Illinois certifications

• BEP certification (Business Enterprise Program for minority-, women- and disability-owned businesses), run by the Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion. Many state contracts set BEP goals.
• Veteran Business Program (VBP) certification
• City of Chicago, Cook County, CTA and Chicago Public Schools use their own systems, so BidBuy doesn’t cover them.

Common BidBuy Illinois mistakes

1. Registering in BidBuy but never completing the IPG
2. Updating NIGP codes in one system and not the other
3. Missing question deadlines listed inside the solicitation
4. Relying on BidBuy for City of Chicago work

Want GERC to handle your Illinois registrations?

We complete BidBuy and IPG registration, prepare BEP and City of Chicago certifications and write state bids, working remotely with Illinois businesses. See our Chicago and Illinois government contracting services.