Find Contract Opportunities

Learn everything you need to know about finding contracting opportunities in PASSPort.

• Important Terms
• Find an Opportunity: Search Options Overview
• Browse Opportunities (RFx) in PASSPort
• Best Practices for Using the Search Function
• View RFx Key Details
• Check for RFx Invitations in PASSPort
• Next Steps

Important Terms

Here are some key terms associated with finding and responding to contracting opportunities:

Solicitations

In procurement, a solicitation is a request sent to prospective vendors, inviting them to respond to a contract opportunity. In PASSPort, solicitations are called RFx.

RFx (Request for "x")

RFx (Request for "x") is a catch-all term representing a range of City solicitations in PASSPort. The most common RFx released in PASSPort are Requests for Information (RFI) and Requests for Proposals (RFP).

RFx Status

RFx Status shows the current phase of a solicitation in PASSPort:

• Planned: The RFx is in the planning stages.
• Released: The RFx is accepting vendor responses.
• Responses Received: The agency no longer accepts RFx responses.
• Selections Made: The agency selected vendor(s) for contract awards.
• Closed: The solicitation process has ended.

EPIN

EPIN stands for Electronic Procurement Identification Number. It's a unique identifier and reference number used for RFx and contracts.

Response

A Response (Response Submission) to a solicitation released in PASSPort is the broad term for how a vendor answers the RFx. Examples of specific responses are proposals or bids.

Due Date

Responses must be submitted before the Due Date as Agencies can stop accepting responses at any time on the due date. We recommend submitting responses at least 48 hours in advance of the due date.

Prequalification

Some RFx require vendors to get prequalified to respond to a particular solicitation. For example, the Health and Human Service Prequalification (HHS PQL) is a requirement of HHS providers to respond to HHS RFx in PASSPort. To learn more, see HHS Accelerator Prequalification. Check with the City Agencies in your line of work for other prequalification lists.

Addendum

An Addendum is issued when an Agency makes an update to an RFx, such as a change in the due date. It's a document that details the changes. PASSPort notifies the participating vendors when an addendum has been issued.

Round

A new Round is issued when an Agency makes substantial changes to an RFx (such as a change in the scope), requiring vendors to submit new responses to the new round. An addendum is published upon agencies issuing a new round.

Other Terms

More procurement terms and definitions can be found in the MOCS Glossary.

Find an Opportunity: Search Options Overview

Don't miss out on contracting opportunities! Use the following search methods to find contracting opportunities of interest to your organization:

Browse Opportunities (RFx) in PASSPort

To view publicly available RFx, click the RFx tab and select Browse Public RFx. Note: Only RFx in Released status are open for response submissions. For details, see Browse Opportunities (RFx) in PASSPort.

Check for RFx Invitations in PASSPort

For certain procurement types, City agencies are required to invite only organizations that meet specific criteria, such as holding an active NYC M/WBE certification or an approved Prequalification Application, to participate in select contracting opportunities. To check for RFx invitations, click the RFx tab and select Browse My RFx Responses. Your organization should have received an email notification upon invitation. For details, see Browse Opportunities (RFx) in PASSPort.

Read the PASSPort Weekly Digest

The Weekly Digest sends PASSPort email notifications announcing the latest RFx releases across all industry fields. System users with one of the following user roles receive the Weekly Digest: Vendor Admin, Vendor Procurement L1, or Vendor Procurement L2.

Sign Up for CROL Notifications

City business opportunities valued at or above $100,000 are published in The City Record Online (CROL). Vendors can sign up to receive CROL email notifications to learn about new solicitations in their fields of interest.

Don't have a PASSPort account yet?

No PASSPort account is required to search for publicly available contracting opportunities on the Procurement Navigator. However, to view RFx details and to respond, a PASSPort account is needed.

Search next Fiscal Year Opportunities

In addition to searching for current opportunities, we recommend checking out opportunities planned for the next fiscal year. This helps your organization see upcoming procurements and plan ahead. Agencies are required to publish procurement plans outlining anticipated standard and professional services contracting actions for every fiscal year. And if your organization is a registered NYC M/WBE, be sure to see agencies' M/WBE utilization plans.

Browse Opportunities (RFx) in PASSPort

Log in to PASSPort, then follow the steps below:

1. Click RFx in the top navigation menu.
2. Select Browse Public RFx from the drop-down menu.

The Browse Public RFx page will display.

3. Click the RFx Status field to open a drop-down list. Select Released to find RFx that are accepting vendor responses.
4. Click the Search button.

The search results show in a table below the search filters.

5. Click the pencil icon to access the RFx you want to learn more about.

Best Practices for Using the Search Function

• Develop a routine to regularly search for opportunities that works for your organization, for example on a weekly basis.
• To find a specific RFx using full or partial procurement name or EPIN, use the Keywords field.
• To find RFx that allow subcontracting, check the box next to "RFx allows subcontractors".
• Avoid “over-filtering” by applying too many search criteria, as this can lead to missed opportunities. We recommend using only two to three filters, such as the Released status (RFx Status) along with a specific Industry, Agency, or Main Commodity Code.
• Use commonly used solicitation terms. Search Checkbook NYC (Contracts tab) for contracts with organizations like yours and review the language used under Purpose.
• Determine who procures your goods/services. Search Checkbook NYC (Contracts tab) to review past contracts and discover which agency or agencies typically procure the goods and services your organization provides.
• Personalize the search results display to your preferences! Right-click the results table header, then drag and drop column titles to organize the display in your preferred order. Example: We moved RFx Status, Due Date, and Remaining time to the top of the Grid column settings list and now can quickly see how much time remains to submit a response. Remember to submit your response at least 48 hours before the Due Date!

View RFx Key Details

Check the Key Dates section first as it can help your organization quickly determine whether you have enough time to prepare and submit a response to the RFx.

Summary

The Summary section provides key agency and procurement details:

• EPIN
• Estimated Number of Contracts that will be awarded
• Estimated Value for the Procurement
• Agency and Agency Contact Information
• RFx Title
• RFx Status

Only RFx in Released status are accepting vendor responses.

Description

The Description provides an overview of the procurement, as provided by the agency. It gives basic information about the RFx.

Key Dates

Key Dates provides details on the Anticipated Contract Start and End Dates, Release Date, and Due Date. It may include the last date the agency will accept questions about the RFx.

Documents

Documents lists supplemental material provided by the contracting agency for additional context for the RFx. Contracting agencies use these documents to provide more details beyond the overview found in View RFx.

If an agency issues an addendum, it will be available in the Document section outlining the changes. PASSPort notifies the participating vendors when an addendum has been issued.

Check for RFx Invitations in PASSPort

For certain procurement types, City agencies are required to invite only organizations that meet specific criteria to participate in select contracting opportunities. The criteria can be having an active NYC M/WBE certification or an approved Prequalification Application.

Browse My RFx Responses shows two types of RFx for the vendor:

• Your organization's RFx responses.
• RFx to which an agency has invited your organization to respond. Email invitations are sent to your organization. The following instructions provide more information on this type of RFx.

Ensure you've completed the following steps so agencies can invite you to relevant RFx opportunities:

• Maintain your PASSPort Vendor Profile
  Keep your vendor profile up to date in PASSPort, with particular attention to the Contacts tab (email addresses for Vendor Admins, Procurement L1, and Procurement L2) and disclosures.
• Maintain your PASSPort Vendor Profile
  Keep current. If applicable, maintain an updated NYC M/WBE profile in the Small Business Services (SBS) NYC Online Directory ensuring accuracy in your contact details (primary contact email) and commodity codes. Contact SBS for assistance with any updates.
• Get Prequalified in PASSPort
  Check with City agencies in your field of work if they have prequalification (PQL) lists in PASSPort to which your organization can be added. Many City agencies create PQLs for different categories, such as goods, services, and construction. To learn more, see HHS Accelerator Prequalification.
• Enroll in Commodities in PASSPort
  Enroll in the commodity codes in PASSPort related to your organization's current capabilities. Change your commodity codes as your business changes. To learn more, see Enroll in Commodities in PASSPort.
• Disclose Business Certifications in PASSPort
  Disclose your organization's business certifications in PASSPort, including active NYC M/WBE certifications. To learn more, see Disclose Business Certifications.

To view RFx invitations:

1. Click RFx in the top navigation menu.
2. Select Browse My RFx Responses from the drop-down menu.

The Browse My RFx page appears.

3. By default, only RFx with a Released status are listed. These are the RFx your organization has been invited to respond to.
   Note: To view other RFx, click the X next to the Released status in the RFx Status field. The search results will show RFx for which your organization has either started or submitted a response.
4. To learn more about an RFx, click the pencil icon to view RFx details.

Next Steps

If you find an RFx your organization wants to pursue, see Respond to RFx in PASSPort.