Comptroller Stringer Releases New Tool To Break Down Barriers To Doing Business With New York City

(New York, NY) – Expanding upon his pledge to increase opportunity and transparency for those seeking to do business with New York City, Comptroller Scott M. Stringer announced the rollout of Vendor Roadmap, a new online guide for local businesses to navigate the City’s procurement process. Vendor Roadmap is part of the Comptroller’s ongoing initiative to increase the number of businesses who compete for contracts to provide nearly $20 billion in goods and services to the City.

“The Vendor Roadmap is an innovative tool that will break down the barriers to entry for vendors going through the application process to supply New York City with goods and services,” Comptroller Stringer said. “This tool will increase transparency in what can be an intimidating and opaque process. We want to expand opportunity here in New York and one way to do that is to make sure that everyone has a fair shot at doing business with the City.”

Vendor Roadmap organizes information previously scattered across agencies into a big picture guide aligned with the fundamental work of becoming a City contractor. Requirements, tips, and resources are mapped to those steps in the process where vendors will find them most useful and necessary.

Vendor Roadmap sections include:

1. Getting started: How to start a business in New York City and enroll to apply for contracts with City agencies.
2. Identifying opportunities: Resources for vendors to recognize avenues of information where contract opportunities are found.
3. Bidding on contracts: Tips for businesses preparing their bid or proposal packages.
4. After contract award: Guidelines for the transition from contract award to contract registration by the City Comptroller’s office.
5. Getting paid: Information about City invoicing and payment processes.
6. Staying current: Ongoing considerations for current and potential City contractors.

In six steps, Vendor Roadmap prepares businesses to make informed decisions about selling to the City. By describing the process from a vendor-oriented perspective, it makes City government more approachable for business owners who may be unsure about entering the public sector. For example, visitors are encouraged to consider how their business may best fit in and benefit from City contracting: as a prime vendor or part of the vibrant and crucial sub-contracting market.

For those businesses ready to begin the process, each step imparts knowledge which, until now, may have been difficult for vendors inexperienced in City procurement to obtain, such as information regarding procurement plans, vendor assistance, and opportunities for pre-qualification. Vendors that have recently won City contracts will learn about what to expect in the time between winning a contract and getting their first payment.

Vendor Roadmap also includes information dedicated to vendors seeking to qualify as minority or women owned business enterprises (M/WBE) and emerging business enterprises (EBE). Earlier this year, Comptroller Stringer released a letter grading system for how well City agencies had met goals to encourage spending with M/WBEs. Overall, the City received a “D” for its efforts.

“We must constantly find new and innovative ways to bring City government to New Yorkers. Local businesses are the bedrock of our City’s neighborhoods. With billions of dollars spent each year, we need to ensure that small business owners, and the communities in which they operate, are well-positioned for growth. We look forward to working with vendors to improve this product as we continue to find ways to help create economic opportunity in our City,” Stringer said.

You can access the complete Vendor Roadmap here.

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