Vendors interested in doing business with the city of Louisville, Kentucky, must register with the Louisville Metro Government’s Procurement Portal. During registration, the city encourages vendors to submit the NIGP commodity/service codes that match their business. This will allow vendors to receive notifications of open bids that match their service offers.[i]

Required Forms for Bidding with the City of Louisville

• • • • W-9 Tax form – required to acknowledge business as an established vendor.
      • Human Relations Commission Form – Required to report subcontractor payments for contracts that include subcontracting work.
      • Qualified Bidder Affidavit – Required from vendors claiming to have qualified bidder status.
      • Resident Bidder Affidavit – Required from vendors claiming preference for Kentucky resident bidders.

Types of Bids

The Division of Purchasing is in charge of procuring goods and services for the city of Louisville and is responsible for managing more than 1,100 contracts. The city solicits three types of bids:

Invitation for Bid (IFB) – Requires a competitive bid process and submission of sealed bids; award goes to the vendor with the lowest bid price.

Request for Proposal (RFP) – Does not require a competitive bid process, only negotiations as the buying agency does not have general specifications on a particular product or service they would like to acquire. The RFP is used to seek further information from vendors such as suggestions or ideas on how the work could be completed; therefore award may not be given to the vendor with the lowest price.

Invitation to Quote (ITQ) – Does not require a competitive bid process; is used when the product or services the buying agency is acquiring does not exceed the small purchase threshold of $20,000.

For vendors looking for construction bids, you can visit the Louisville Metro Planroom where you can view and purchase plans and specifications for a small fee.

(Source: Louisvilleky.gov Management & Budget. Purchasing. Solicitation Types. 2017. Web. 19 Jan. 2017)

Minority, Female & Handicapped Owned Business Enterprise Certification Program

The purpose of this program is to ensure that minority, female and handicapped owned businesses are included in the bidding process for Louisville Metro. The program also helps businesses become certified as a minority, female or handicapped owned business entity. Businesses that are enrolled in the program will be listed on the city website for three years, where city departments can look up vendor information. The information listed will also help prime vendors find companies for subcontracting opportunities. The spending goals for Louisville Metro are:

• • • • 15% for Minority Owned Businesses
      • 5% for Women Owned Businesses
      • .5% for Handicapped Owned Businesses

(Source: Louisvilleky.gov. Contract Compliance & Certification System. 2017. Web. 19 Jan. 2017)

Although getting started in the local bidding process in Louisville may seem daunting, the rewards of participating in the process can be quite profitable!  By bidding on all three types of bids, you are positioning yourself for the Triple Crown of success. This ever-growing city is constantly reinvesting in its people and communities, creating a diverse portfolio of bid opportunities for businesses of all markets and sizes.