Contracts & Procurement

PWD makes its purchases through the Procurement Department. The Procurement Department is the central purchasing and materials management agency for the City of Philadelphia. They are responsible for acquiring services, supplies, equipment and construction for City agencies by utilizing competitive purchasing procedures.

Getting Started:

The City’s Procurement Department has put together a Vendor Guide to help contractors understand the bidding process.
You can learn how to become a City contractor and find City business opportunities through the Procurement Department’s website.
Current opportunities are listed on the Contracts Hub.
- To bid on Services, Supplies, and Equipment, Public Works, and Concessions contracts, you must register on PHLContracts.
- To bid on a Professional Services contract, you must register with eContract Philly.

Supplier Diversity

The City seeks to fulfill at least 35 percent of all for-profit contracts through minority, women, or disabled-owned enterprises (M/W/DSBEs).

If you register as an M/W/DSBE, you can receive preference in the City contracting process.

Learn more about supplier diversity →

Local Preference

In addition, the Procurement Department offers Local Owned Business Enterprise (LBE) certification. This certification offers incentives while bidding on City contracts. If you are a locally-based firm, apply to be certified.

Learn more about Local Preference →

Types of Contracts

The Procurement Department has several types of bids and methods of making purchases.

Advertised Bids: Formal bids are competitive bids for procurement involving services, supplies or equipment that exceed $25,000 or Public Works, such as, construction work. These types of bids are generally required to be advertised in local newspapers for a specified period before the bid opening.

Small Purchase Orders: Informal bids are for procurements $32,000 and under. Operating departments can directly solicit for goods and services $25,000 and under. For these purchases, departments are required to obtain competitive quotations.

Concession Bids: Bids offer bidder the opportunity to provide goods and/or services on City property.

Public Works Bids: These are bids for the construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair or improvement of a public building, property, street, bridge, highway or sewer.

Surplus Property Bids: Bids offer “as is” surplus City equipment or supplies to the highest bidder.