Guide
Selling IT to the City of San Francisco
How small tech firms win City and County of San Francisco IT contracts: SF City Partner and your Supplier ID, the Office of Contract Administration, Chapter 12B equal benefits and LBE certification.
San Francisco is a single city and county, with one set of purchasing rules and one supplier portal. It buys a lot of software and IT services, and it is known for contract requirements that go further than most US cities. Read them before you bid.
SF City Partner
SF City Partner is the city's supplier portal. It is where:
- Departments post sourcing events, such as bids and requests for proposals.
- You register as a bidder to respond.
- You become a city supplier and get a Supplier ID, which the city needs before it can sign a contract with you or pay you.
Becoming a supplier normally means:
- Registering your business with the Treasurer and Tax Collector and holding a current business registration certificate.
- Registering as a bidder on SF City Partner.
- Converting to a supplier, which includes submitting your W-9 and your Chapter 12B and 12C declarations through the portal.
- Waiting for the city to email your Supplier ID.
Use your business name exactly as it is registered with the Treasurer and Tax Collector. Start early, since processing takes a few working days and longer if something is missing. Check current steps on the city's "become a city supplier" guidance at sf.gov.
Who buys IT
- The Office of Contract Administration (OCA), within the City Administrator's office, is the city's central purchasing office. It runs many citywide contracts for goods and services, including technology.
- The Department of Technology (DT) runs the city's shared IT, networks and many enterprise services, and buys for them.
- Individual departments buy their own systems and services, within the city's rules.
OCA has run pre-qualified pools for common technology purchases. Check with OCA whether a pool covers your work and whether it is open to new suppliers.
Some departments, such as the Port, the airport, the Public Utilities Commission and the Municipal Transportation Agency, run much of their own contracting. Check each one's procurement pages.
The rules: the Administrative Code
The city's purchasing rules are set in the San Francisco Administrative Code. Most IT and services purchasing falls under the chapter on purchasing of commodities and services, and the code also sets the social and labour requirements that come with city contracts.
| Requirement | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Chapter 12B, Equal Benefits | You must offer the same benefits to employees with domestic partners as to those with spouses |
| Chapter 12C | Nondiscrimination requirements, declared when you register |
| Minimum Compensation Ordinance (12P) | Minimum pay and leave for covered employees on many contracts |
| Health Care Accountability Ordinance (12Q) | Health coverage requirements for covered employees on many contracts |
| First Source Hiring (Chapter 83) | Hiring commitments on some contracts |
Which ones apply depends on the contract type and value. The solicitation lists them. The city also has other restrictions, including on campaign contributions by bidders on larger contracts. Check the current list with OCA and in each solicitation.
LBE certification
The city's Local Business Enterprise (LBE) program, set out in Chapter 14B of the Administrative Code, is run by the Contract Monitoring Division (CMD). To be certified you generally need a real business presence in San Francisco and to fall under the program's size limits.
Certification can give you:
- Bid discounts or rating bonuses on eligible contracts.
- Visibility to prime contractors that must meet LBE subcontracting goals.
Thresholds and size limits change, so check eligibility and current rules with CMD. If you are not based in the city, you can still win city work, and subcontracting to a prime with LBE goals is not the only route in.
How to get started
- Get your business registration with the Treasurer and Tax Collector.
- Register on SF City Partner and convert to a supplier.
- Check your benefits policies meet Chapter 12B before you bid.
- Apply for LBE certification with CMD if you qualify.
- Watch sourcing events from OCA, DT and the departments you know.
StackBid reads San Francisco's open sourcing events and lists IT and software opportunities daily. See also selling IT to local government and selling IT to government in the US.
Common questions
How do I get a Supplier ID in San Francisco?
Register your business with the Treasurer and Tax Collector, register as a bidder on SF City Partner, then convert to a supplier by submitting your W-9 and Chapter 12B and 12C declarations. The city emails your Supplier ID once it is processed.
What is Chapter 12B?
It is San Francisco's equal benefits ordinance in the Administrative Code. City contractors must offer the same benefits to employees with domestic partners as to employees with spouses.
Do I need to be based in San Francisco to win city contracts?
No. Firms from anywhere can bid. But Local Business Enterprise certification, which can give bid advantages, generally requires a business presence in San Francisco.