How do I become a registered vendor with the City?

Supplier registration

What are the benefits of being a registered vendor?

Procurement Services makes a list of registered vendors available to all City Departments and Trusts. This list to identify potential suppliers when it is necessary to obtain quotes for Open Market Purchases. 

Is a registered vendor the same as a contracted vendor?

No, being registered is not the same as being on contract. A contracted vendor is one that has entered into a formal agreement with the City or it's Trusts to purchase goods or services. It is the City's preference to utilize contracted vendors whenever possible. However there are times when the City does not have a contract in place for a good or service. When that happens, departments and Trusts use the SDBE vendor listing and registered vendor listing to contact vendors to obtain quotes for purchases between $5,000 and $50,000. 

What is the SDBE Listing and what is the benefit of being on it?

Procurement Services launched an outreach program for Small Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (SDBE), including small, minority and women-owned businesses. Procurement will host quarterly meetings to provide SDBE’s with an opportunity to learn about the City’s purchasing process. It is the City’s policy (see below) to obtain quotes from SDBE vendors when making an Open Market Purchase .

SECTION 6.15—Small, Minority and Women-Owned Businesses
Departments are encouraged to seek competition from small and minority firms and women’s business enterprise firms when possible. Purchases over $5,000 not covered under a contract/pricing agreement must be quoted competitively following the City’s open market purchasing procedures and the purchase must be made with the supplier/contractor submitting the lowest and best quote. Materials and supply contracts over $50,000 must be competitively bid and approved by the City Council and awarded to the lowest and best bidder.

How can I find current and upcoming bid opportunities with the City?

The City and its Trust utilize Periscope to solicit responses to bids and requests for proposals (RFP). Periscope is used for all bids, including construction, material, service and requests for proposals. 

How does the City award pricing agreements/contracts?

The City of OKC generally utilizes competitive bidding or request for proposals for one-time purchases, contracts, pricing agreements, and professional service agreements. Requests for bids are issued year-round, but most are from February to June. For information on bidding on Public Works construction projects, go to the Public Works Department website. 

There are three ways to find active requests for bids: under Public Notices in the Journal Record newspaper (usually published on Wednesdays), in our online portal below and on Periscope, partner of the City of OKC and its Trusts for electronic bidding.

How much does it cost to bid on pricing agreements/contracts and how do I get started?

It is free! Register with Periscope to receive bidding opportunity notifications and submit bids electronically to the City Clerk for consideration.

How to get started:

1. Go to www.periscope.com, select the Periscope Links icon, then click the “Register Now” button.

2. Enter information for the main contact on the account, as well as your company information.

3. Select your primary industry and narrow down your results by specific keywords. Select where you do business and how you wish to receive notifications.

4. Your information will be saved and your account will be activated within 24 hours. For quicker activation, please contact Periscope Customer Service at (800) 990-9339.

For more information on bidding, watch our training videos for construction project contractors and material items/services vendors.

How long are the City's pricing agreements/contracts?

Generally, the City pricing agreements are one-year terms with two optional one-year renewals. This means that the majority of the pricing agreements are rebid every three years. Professional service agreements may have up to four annual renewal options.

Construction and Utility contract lengths may vary, depending on the nature and complexity of the project.

How should I submit invoices for payment?

Email Invoices

Create a new email:

1. Enter the recipient's email address for the legal entity of your invoice. This will ensure your invoice is routed properly for timely payment.

Central Oklahoma Transportation & Parking Authority = COTPAInvoices@okc.gov

Oklahoma City Airport Trust = AirportsInvoices@okc.gov

Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust = OCWUTInvoices@okc.gov

Oklahoma City Zoological Trust = AP@okczoo.org

The City of Oklahoma City = CityInvoices@okc.gov

2. Leave the "Subject" line and body of the email blank because this information will not be transmitted with the invoice.

3. Attach the scanned invoice image to the email. Only one invoice can be submitted per email. If you are scanning multiple pages, the invoice must be on the first page in order for it to import correctly into Oracle. Note: Attachments must be in PDF or TIFF format.