State Nuances
State government is one of the most important sources of funding for non-profits of all kinds. There are two ways to view state funding opportunities. First, states issue RFAs soliciting grant applications in a fashion similar to what the federal government does. In fact, a non-profit is more likely to receive direct funding from a state agency than the federal government Much of the money that flows to state governments is directly from the federal government for the purpose of distributing the money to local entities. This means that all the intricate financial accounting required when obtaining direct federal government money remains the same in accepting state money. State government agencies are audited by the federal government and likewise state auditors review the financial records of local non-profits receiving funding from them.
The best first step is to search for grant opportunities from state government agencies that most likely have a purpose which aligns with the non-profit’s mission. However, state web sites are often quite confusing and it can be difficult to find a listing of state agencies. Also grant opportunities are sometimes listed as part of a state’s procurement programs so it takes some time to maneuver through the site to find useful grant information.
Become a Government Vendor
Second, state governments offer extensive contracting and bidding opportunities that are available to non-profits beyond what is offered through the state grants system. This is a neglected source of potential revenue. Non-profit organizations should actively seek to learn more about the contract and bidding opportunities in the states where they operate. Non-profits think of government contracting opportunities as paving roads and repairing bridges but bids are ‘let’ for services such as conducting surveys, providing after school tutoring, mentoring, etc. As more state and local governments decide to privatize traditional government services, new opportunities have arisen for non-profits to compete for contracts. In addition, governmental and quasi government agencies such as historical commissions, housing authorities, water boards also offer grant and vendor opportunities.
Listing by State of official state web sites, state agency information links and vendor opportunity links-
Alabama
www.alabama.gov (Alabama Agency and Organization Listing)
Division of Procurement, Department of Finance
Vendor Registration
http://purchasing.alabama.gov/pages/vendors.aspx
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program
www.dot.state.al.us/bureau/hr/dbe/default.asp
Alaska
www.alaska.gov (My Government)
Department of Administration, General Services
DBE Program
www.dot.state.ak.us/cvlrts/directory.shtml
Arizona
Az.gov (State agencies Directory – az.gov/app/contactaz)
Department of Administration
www.azdoa.gov/agencies/spo/business resoruces.asp
ProcureAZ eProcurement System
DBE Program
Arkansas
www.arkansas.gov (State Directory)
Department of Finance and Administration
www.dfa.arkansas.gov/Pages/default.aspx
Vendor Services
DBE Program
www.arkansas.gov/adfa/programs/dbep.html
California
www.ca.gov(ca.gov/casearch/agencies.aspx)
Procurement Division
Contracts Register
www.eprocure.dgs.ca.gov/default.htm
Small Business & DVBE services – small business/disabled vets (state program)
www.pd.dgs.ca.gov/smbus/default.htm
DBE Program
Colorado
www.colorado.gov (State Agencies)
Department of Personnel & Administration
www.colorado.gov/dpa/dfp/spo/index.htmPopendocument
Vendor Registration
www.gssa.state.co.us/VenRegister
DBE Program
www.dot.state.co.us/EEO/DBEProgramPage.htm
Connecticut
www.ct.gov (State Agencies – ct.gov/ctportal/cwp/view.asp?)
Department of Administrative Services
www.das.state.ct.us/Purchase/New PurchHome/Busopp.asp
Contracting Portal to search for Bid/RFP solicitations, contract
www.das.state.ct.us/Purchase/portal/portal home.asp
Minority & Small Business Set-Aside Program (state program)
www.state.ct.us/das/Purchase/SetAside/SAProgin.htm
Delaware
www.delaware.gov (List of Agencies – delaware.gov/topics/agencylist)
Government Support Services
http://gss.omb.delaware.gov/contracting/index.shtml
Office of Minority & Women Business Enterprise (state program)
http://omwbe.delaware.gov/certify.shtml
DBE Program
http://deldot.gov/information/business/dbe/index.shtml
Florida
www.myflorida.com (Find an Agency)
Florida Purchasing Division
http://dms.myflorida.com/business operations/state purchasing
Florida Office of Supplier Diversity (state program)
http://dms.myflorida.com/other programs/office of supplier diveristy osd/
DBE Program
www.dot.state.fl.us/equalopportunityoffice/
Georgia
Georgia.gov (Agencies)
Department of Administrative Services
http://doas.ga.gov/StateLocal/SPD/Pages/Home.aspx
Vendor Registration
http://doas.georgia.gov/Suppliers/Pages/Home.aspx
Minority Business Enterprise Certification (state program) http://doas.georgia.gov/Suppliers/Pages/SupplierMBE.aspx
DBE Program
www.dot.state.ga.us/doingbusiness/dbePrograms/Pages/default.aspx
Hawaii
www.hawaii.gov (Agencies)
State Procurement Office
Hawaii State & County Procurement Notices
http://www4.hawaii.gov/bidapps/
DBE Program
http://hawaii.gov/dot/administration/ocr/dbe
Idaho
wwwidaho.gov (Agency & Topic Index idaho.gov/agency/agency_a.html)
Department of Administration
http://adm.idaho.gov/purchasing/
Vendor Registration
DBE Program
www.itd.idaho.gov/civiI/overview.htm
Illinois
wwwillinois.gov (State Agencies – www2.illinois.gov/pages/agencies)
Sell 2 Illinois – Business Registration
Small Business Set-Aside Program (state program)
http://sell2.ilIinois.gov/SBSP/Small Businesses.htm
DBE Program
www.dot.il.gov/sbe/dbedir.html
Indiana
www.in.gov (Find an Agency)
Department of Administration
Minority & Women’s Business Enterprise (state program)
Iowa
www.iowa.gov (Agencies – Skip to Content – Department Listing)
Iowa Business and Regulatory Assistance Network
http://regassist.iowa.gov/home.html
Vendor Registration
http://das.gse.iowa.gov/procurement/vendor reg.html
Targeted Small Business (SB) Certification Program (state program)
DBE Program
www.iowadot.gov/contracts/contracts eeoaa.htm
Kansas
Department of Administration
Vendor Registration
www.da.ks.gov/purch/VendorRegistration.htm
DBE Program
www.ksdot.org/divadmin/civilrights/
Kentucky
Kentucky eProcurement
Vendor Registration
https://emars.ky.gov/online/vss/Advantage
DBE Program
http://transportation.kv.gov/Contract/DBE/
Louisiana
Procurement & Vendor Information
www.louisiana.gov/Business/Do Business With the State/
Vendor Registration
http://wwwprd.doa.louisiana.gov/osp/lapac/vendor/Vndrmess.asp
DBE Program
http://www8.dotd.louisiana.gov/UCP/Home.aspx
Maine
Procurement & Vendor Information
www.maine.gov/portaI/business/vendors.html
DBE Program
www.maine.gov/mdot/disadvantaged-business-enterprise/dbe-home.php
Maryland
eMaryland Marketplace
https://ebidmarketplace.com/default.asp
Vendor Registration
https://ebidmarketplace.com/venlogon.asp
Small Business Reserve Program (state program)
www.smallbusinessreserve.maryland.gov
DBE Program
www.mdot.maryland.gov/MBE-Program/Index.html
Massachusetts
Procurement & Access Information System
State Office Minority & Women Business Assistance (state program)
Michigan
Buy Michigan First
www.michigan.gov/buymichiganfirst/
Minnesota
Minnesota Materials Management Division
www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/mn02000.htm
Vendor Registration
www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/webven/
Targeted Group/Economically Disadvantaged (TG/ED) Small Business Program (state program)
www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/mn02001.htm
DBE Program
www.dot.state.mn.us/civilrights/dbe.html
Mississippi
Mississippi Electronic Portal Government Contracts
DBE Program
www.gomdot.com/Divisions/CivilRights/Resources/Programs/DBE/Home.aspx
Missouri
Office of Administration Division of Purchasing & Material Management
Office of Supplier & Workforce Diversity (state program)
Montana
General Services Division Procurement & Vendor Information
http://gsd.mt.gov/business/default.mcpx
DBE Program
www.mdt.mt.gov/business/contracting/civil/dbe.shtml
Nebraska
Administrative Services- Materiel/Purchasing Division
www.das.state.ne.us/materiel/purchasing/
DBE Program
www.dor.state.ne.us/letting/dbeinfo.htm
Nevada
Department of Administration – Purchasing Division
http://purchasing.state.nv.us/
DBE Program
New Hampshire
Department of Administrative Services – Vendor Resource Center
www.admin.state.nh.us/purchasing/vendorresources.asp
New Jersey
Department of the Treasury – Division of Purchase & Property
www.nj.gov/treasury/purchase/doingbusiness.shtml
Vendor Registration
www.state.nj.us/treasury/purchase/erfpnotifications.shtml
Minority & Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) Certification (state program)
www.nj.gov/njbusiness/contracting/minority/certification.shtml
DBE Program
www.state.nj.us/transportation/business/civilrights/dbe.shtm
New Mexico
General Services Administration – Purchasing Division
www.generalservices.state.nm.us/spd/spd.html
DBE Program
www.nmshtd.state.nm.us/main.asp?secid=11175
New York
Office of General Services – Procurement Services
www.ogs.state.ny.us/purchase/default.asp
Minority & Women Owned Business Enterprise Program (state program)
www.nvlovesmwbe.nv.gov/Certification/Overview/Overview.htm
North Carolina
eProcurement Services
Vendor Registration
www.ips.state.nc.us/ips/vendor/vndpubmain.asp
DBE Program
https://apps.dot.state.nc.us/vendor/directory/
North Dakota
Procurement Office
Vendor Registration
www.nd.gov/spo/vendor/registry/
DBE Program
www.dot.nd.gov/divisions/civiIrights/dbeprogram.htm
Ohio
State Procurement
http://procure.ohio.gov/proc/index.asp
Minority & Small Business Certification (state program)
www.development.ohio.gov/dmba/minoritysmallbusinesscert.htm
DBE Program
www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisons/EqualOpportunity/Pages/DBE.aspx
Oklahoma
Department of Central services
http://ok.gov/DCS/Central Purchasing/index.html
Vendor Registration
www.ok.gov/DCS/Central Purchasing/Vendor Registration/index.html
DBE Program
www.okladot.state.ok.us/regserv/dbeinfo/index.htm
Oregon
Department of Administrative Services – Procurement Office
www.oregon.gov/DAS/SSD/SPO/index.shtml
Minority, Women & Emerging Small Business Programs (state program)
www.oregon.gov/OBDD/OMWESB/index.shtml
DBE Program
www.oregon.gov/ODOT/CS/CIVILRIGHTS/sbe/dbe/dbe program.shtml
Pennsylvania
Department of General Services
Rhode Island
Procurement & Vendor Information
www.ri.gov/business/index.php?subcategory=21&linkgroup=91
Small Business Enterprise Services (state program)
South Carolina
Procurement & Vendor Information
http://sc.gov/Portal/Category/DOINGBUSINESS
Small & Minority Business Enterprise Program (state program)
www.govoepp.state.sc.us/osmba/apps.html
DBE Program
www.dot.state.sc.us/doing/dbe quarterly.shtml
South Dakota
Office of Procurement Management – Procurement & Vendor Information
www.sd.us/boa/opm/vendor info.htm
DBE Program
www.sddot.com/operations/dbe.asp
Tennessee
Department of General Services Purchasing Division
www.tennessee.gov/generalserv/purchasing/dobusi.html
Diversity Business Enterprise Program (state program)
www.tn.gov/businessopp/index.html
DBE Program
www.tdot.state.tn.us/civil-rights/smallbusiness/
Texas
State Purchasing & Vendor Information
www.window.state.tx.us/procurement/
Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Program
www.window.state.tx.us/procurement/prog/hub/
DBE Program
www.dot.state.tx.us/business/business outreach/dbe.htm
Utah
Department of Administrative Services – Purchasing &Vendor Information
http://purchasing.utah.gov/vendor/index.html
Vermont
Business & Vendor Information
http://vermont.gov/portaI/business/index.php?id=92
DBE Program
www.aot.state.vt.us/CivilRights/Dbe.htm
Virginia
Total e-Procurement Solution
www.eva.state.va.us/vendors/index.htm
Department of Minority Business (DMBE) Program (state program)
Washington State
Access – Business & Vendor information
http://acccess.wa.gov/business/dobus.aspx
Vendor Registration
http://access.wa.gov/business/state start.aspx
State Office of Minority & Women’s Business Enterprise (state program)
West Virginia
Purchasing Division
www.state.wv.us/admin/purchase/
DBE Program
www.state.wv.us/redirect/wvdot/wvdot.htm
Wisconsin
Bureau of Procurement
http://vendomet.state.wi.us/vendomet/default.asp
Certification Central (WISCert Central) for small, disadvantaged, minority, women and veteran (SDMWV) program)
http://commerce.wi.gov/BD/BD-Wiscert.html
DBE Program
www.dot.wisconsin.gov/business/engrserv/dbe-main.htm
Wyoming
Administration & Information – General Services Division
businesses (state
