Become a Vendor
To be awarded a contract within HCDE Choice Partners Cooperative, vendors must follow these few simple steps:
- Register as a supplier in the eBid System - you only become a BIDDER not an awarded vendor
- Respond to a specific bid or proposal advertised by HCDE/Choice Partners (that only comes out at specific times. Look under upcoming contracts to see when your commodity title may be coming out)
- Be awarded a contract by the HCDE Board of Trustees
Here's how to begin
Follow these instructions to complete the electronic vendor registration and participate in the bidding process to become an awarded Choice Partners vendor.
Register as a supplier:
- Select the link above to Register as a supplier in the eBid System.
- Click on Setup a New Account (to the right of username and password).
- Read and accept the Terms and Conditions for eBid System.
- Set up your profile information – when entering your company Tax ID number, do not enter any dashes, only numbers will be accepted.
- Select at least one commodity and preferably all the commodities that your company provides. These selected commodities will determine when to electronically notify you of bids that match your selections. You will always have the ability to see all public bids even when your commodity doesn’t match the commodity being bid.
- Submit your vendor registration.
- A Choice Partner administrator will process your request.
- You will receive an email confirmation once your registration has been processed.
NOTICE: Registering does not give your company automatic participation in Choice Partners. Vendors must participate in the invitation to bid process and be awarded to sell on CP contracts.
Responding to bids or proposals:(once they come out and are advertised)
- Registered bidders will login with the username and password they have created and click on “Access Bid Opportunities”.
- Supplier’s bid responses will be submitted electronically without a need to print any forms or fax/mail any documents to Choice Partners Cooperative
- All pricing submitted will clearly state the vendor's pricing is to include the administrative fee in their current pricing or fees.
Important Notes:
- It is the sole responsibility of each supplier to maintain and keep their company's information current on the eBid System (e.g. contact name, address, telephone number, etc.). All new bid opportunities will be sent to the e-mail address supplied in this registration; therefore, it is imperative that the supplier maintains updated information, especially in the event of an e-mail or ISP change.
- Registered suppliers in the eBid System will automatically receive notifications of bid opportunities based on the categories of commodities they have selected, but will not attain AWARDED VENDOR status until the HCDE Board of Trustees awards a contract to the supplier.
- Legal notices will continue to be published in the Houston Chronicle as well as the eBid System; both serve as authorized sources of notification of the Department’s and the cooperatives’ bid opportunities.
- Questions regarding the eBid System or assistance on how to use it may be directed to the Choice Partners at info@choicepartners.org.