Doing-Business-with-the-City-Guide_July-2024_Final.pdf

City of Minneapolis

A Guide to Doing Business with the City

July, 2024

Prepared by City of Minneapolis Procurement and Strong & Starlike Consulting, Inc.

1 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis

Table of Contents Welcome & Overview

If You Have Not Yet Started a Business

Procurement

Defining Three Key Terms Used In eSupplier

Inclusive Procurement Is a City of Minneapolis Value

Commitment to Inclusive Procurement

Disparity Study

Small and Underutilized Business Program (SUBP)

Target Market Program (TMP)

HUD Section 3 Businesses

Ensuring Accessibility in Procurement Opportunities

Why You Should Do Business with the City of Minneapolis

Outreach & Engagement

Working with Local Small Businesses

Prompt Payment to Help with Cash Flow

Debriefings

City of Minneapolis Purchasing Thresholds

Contract Thresholds requiring payment of certain wages or workforce diversity and inclusion goals

Insurance and Bonding Requirements

Insurance Requirements

Bonding Requirements

Registering as a Bidder in the eSupplier Portal

Reviewing Contracting Opportunities

Bidding and Contracting

Bidding & Bid Award

Contracting

Planning Ahead

Billing and Payment

Direct Links & Resources

Contacting Procurement

Business Resources List

2 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis

Welcome & Overview Thank you for your interest in doing business with the City of Minneapolis (City)! This Guide to Doing Business with the City (Guidebook) is intended to help you do the following:

• Better understand how the City purchases goods and services;

• Navigate our procurement processes; and

• Access information that may assist your business in engaging in doing business with the City.

This Guidebook is an informational overview of the City’s procurement processes and is not intended to be comprehensive. The Direct Links & Resources section (page 14) will direct you to more resources and information. This Guidebook will be periodically updated. If you have a question on a policy that Procurement manages, please contact us at procurement@minneapolismn.gov or 612-673-2500.

If You Have Not Yet Started a Business This Guidebook is intended for those who have already incorporated and started a business. If you have not yet done so, below are some resources to help you get started. Links to the information below, as well as additional resources may be found in the Business Resources List at the end of this Guidebook.

• Minneapolis Small Business Team: City staff can assist you in navigating City permitting and licensing processes, connect you to relevant resources and supports, and answer your questions about regulations and requirements.

• Minnesota Secretary of State: To start a business you will need to file with the Minnesota Secretary of State. Their How to Start a Business in Minnesota website provides an overview of this process. This page also includes a list of business resources at the bottom of the page.

• SCORE: SCORE is a network of volunteer business mentors that may be able to assist you as you get started.

When starting your business there are a number of things to consider and steps to take. The bullet points below provide an overview of some key steps in the process as you move from starting a business in Minnesota to doing business with the City.

• File with the Minnesota Secretary of State

• Get your federal tax ID/Employer Identification Number your Minnesota State tax ID

• Acquire business insurance from a provider of your choice

• Set up a bank account for your business with a bank of your choice

• Determine if your business needs a particular type of license

• Research City programs such as the Target Market Program, Small and Underutilized Business

Program, and HUD Section 3 Business certification to see if you qualify; if you do, submit the appropriate application or form

• Register as a Bidder in the City’s eSupplier Portal mailto:procurement@minneapolismn.gov https://www.sos.state.mn.us/business-liens/start-a-business/how-to-start-a-business-in-minnesota https://www.sos.state.mn.us/business-liens/start-a-business/business-resources/ https://www.score.org/ https://www.sos.state.mn.us/business-liens/start-a-business/how-to-register-your-business/ https://www.irs.gov/businesses/employer-identification-number#:%7E:text=An%20Employer%20Identification%20Number%20(EIN,now%20you%20may%20apply%20online.

https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/guide/registering-your-business https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/licenses-permits-inspections/business-licenses/

3 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis

Procurement Procurement is responsible for the purchase of goods and services for the City of Minneapolis, the Park Board, and other boards associated with the City of Minneapolis. Procurement is also responsible for the administration of City contracts. Procurement offers in person technical assistance in its offices for those registering as a bidder and responding to events. Computers are available for public use for submitting a bid or proposals, as well as registering as a bidder.

If you have general questions, comments or concerns about City purchasing, please e-mail procurement@minneapolismn.gov. If you have questions, comments or concerns regarding a specific event, they should be directed towards the staff indicated in the event instructions.

Defining Three Key Terms Used In This Guide

Bidder: Someone who has not done business with the City before. Once a bidder is awarded work with the City, they will be converted to a supplier and be eligible to be paid.

Supplier: A supplier is a vendor who has been paid by the City in the past.

Event: An event is an opportunity to bid (Call for Bids) or propose (Request for Proposal) on a contract in the eSupplier system.

Inclusive Procurement Is a City of Minneapolis Value Commitment to Inclusive Procurement The City is committed to inclusive procurement. It is a City goal to prioritize economic inclusion so that all workers and families are supported and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) -owned businesses in all sectors can thrive. To help accomplish this, the City will operationalize a strategy to increase the number of BIPOC-owned businesses. The City seeks to increase the percent count of, and spend with, racially and ethnically diverse for-profit suppliers across all City departments.

Disparity Study The City supports an environment where all people and companies working with the City can fairly compete for our business. The City strives to eliminate discrimination against Minority-owned Business Enterprises (MBEs) and Women-owned Business Enterprises (WBEs). Disparity studies provide an in-depth review of the City’s marketplace and spends over a period of years to determine whether contracting disparities exist between MBEs/WBEs and white, male-owned businesses. The City participated in the 2017 Multijurisdictional Disparity Study. The findings of the study may be found on the Disparity Study page (https://mn.gov/admin/disparity-study)

Small and Underutilized Business Program (SUBP) In addition to Citywide efforts to the increase the diversity of City suppliers, the Small and Underutilized Business Program (SUBP) requires all suppliers to make good faith efforts to subcontract with BIPOC-owned and/or woman-owned firms (MBEs and WBEs) on larger city-funded projects. This program is mailto:procurement@minneapolismn.gov https://mn.gov/admin/disparity-study/

4 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis enforced by the Contract Compliance Division of the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights. Please visit the Small and Underutilized Business Program page for more information.

DBE Certification by the Minnesota Unified Certification Program (MnUCP) Only firms certified as an MBE or WBE by the MnUCP count towards SUBP inclusion goals. If a prime contractor is itself a certified MBE or WBE, it may count itself towards SUBP inclusion goals. A list of certified firms is available for reference through the MnUCP Directory. Current MnUCP certifying agencies include the City of Minneapolis, Metropolitan Airports Commission, Metropolitan Council, and Minnesota Department of Transportation.

A business seeking to count towards SUBP MBE/WBE subcontracting goals must be certified through the MnUCP. For more information on certification requirements visit the Apply for DBE Certification page of the MnUCP website.

Meeting SUBP goals or making Good Faith Efforts to do so If a bidder does not initially achieve the SUBP inclusion goals by identifying the MBEs and WBEs with which it will subcontract, then the bidder must demonstrate that it made at least a good faith effort to do so.

The Contract Compliance Division will conduct a review to determine if the bidder met SUBP subcontracting goals or at least solicited MBEs/WBEs in good faith. Additional details on good faith efforts may be found on the Small and Underutilized Business Program website.

Monitoring of payment to MBEs and WBEs Commitments to subcontract with particular MBEs or WBEs pursuant to the SUBP program become part of the terms of a contract with the City. A supplier must follow through on these initial commitments and may not later substitute, reduce participation of, or eliminate MBE/WBE subcontractors without a legitimate reason for doing so and without the prior written approval of the Contract Compliance Division of Civil Rights. Payments to DBEs must be tracked in a Contract Compliance Information Management System online portal.

Target Market Program (TMP) The Target Market Program (TMP) is a race- and -gender-neutral program aimed at expanding opportunities for historically underutilized small businesses and stimulating the local economy through increased economic opportunities in the City’s marketplace. Under the TMP, qualified small businesses will have the ability to respond alongside other similarly situated small businesses for City contracts up to $175,000 instead of competing against larger, more established companies.

TMP Eligibility Criteria

• Principal place of business is located within the 13-county metro area (Minnesota counties of

Anoka, Benton, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Stearns, Washington, and Wright)

• Business is independently owned and controlled

• Business is a for-profit business

• Business performs a commercially useful function https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/civil-rights/contract-compliance-division/small-underutilized-business/ https://mnucp.metc.state.mn.us/ https://mnucp.org/Apply-for-Certification https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/civil-rights/contract-compliance-division/small-underutilized-business/ https://mpls.diversitycompliance.com/?TN=mpls

5 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis

In addition to the criteria above, the business’ 3-year average for its annual gross receipts must not exceed the limits below:

• Construction: $10M

• Manufacturing Operations: $7M

• Retail Operations: $3M

• Service Operations: $6M

• Wholesale Operations: $8M

• Professional/Technical Services: $5M

How to Enroll in the Target Market Program The enrollment process may be completed online or through a paper enrollment process. Enrollment should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. For detailed guidance on completing an application, please visit the Target Market Program page and you will find a link for instructions for the online and paper applications under the “Enrollment Information” Section.

• Online Enrollment: Access the eSupplier Portal and click on the TMP Application tile.

• Paper Enrollment: Download the Target Market Program Enrollment Form from the Target

Market Program website. After completing the form, you may submit it via e-mail to TargetMarket@minneapolismn.gov or you may mail it to the address below:

City of Minneapolis – Procurement 505 South 4th Ave Room 310 Minneapolis MN 55415

For more information on the Target Market Program, as well as a list of Frequently Asked Questions, please visit the Target Market Program website Target Market Program or e-mail us at TargetMarket@minneapolismn.gov

HUD Section 3 Businesses The HUD Section 3 Program is a race- and gender-neutral program based solely on income and residency in the metropolitan area. This program applies only to construction projects that contain certain HUD financial assistance. To learn more about the HUD Section 3 Program and how to become certified as a Section 3 business, please visit the HUD Section 3 Program page.

Ensuring Accessibility in Procurement Opportunities ADA Accessibility For ADA related accommodations or alternative formats please contact 311. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. TTY users can call 612-673-2157 or 612- 673-2626.

Para asistencia 612-673-2700, Yog xav tau kev pab, hu 612-673-2800, Hadii aad Caawimaad u baahantahay 612-673-3500.

Our default contact is 311 at 612-673-2343 https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/target-market/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/target-market/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/target-market/ mailto:TargetMarket@minneapolismn.gov http://www2.minneapolismn.gov/finance/procurement/TargetMarketProgram https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/target-market/ mailto:TargetMarket@minneapolismn.gov https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/civil-rights/contract-compliance-division/hud-section-3/

6 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis

Language Services (Translation and Interpretation Related Needs) We do not want language to be a barrier for a business seeking to do business with the City. Our Neighborhood & Community Relations (NCR) staff may assist you. The NCR department's community specialists speak Spanish, Somali, Hmong and Lao. Please visit our Language Services page for guidance on who may assist you.

Why You Should Do Business with the City of Minneapolis The City on average spends over $300 million in contractual goods and services each year. The City buys a wide range of goods and services. We are here to help you in your effort to do business with us and seek to promote a good business relationship for you with the City.

Outreach & Engagement Procurement staff engage in the following activities to connect with business owners or connect City departments with business owners:

• E-mail communication

• Communication toolkit about programs like TMP

• Attending events, including neighborhood workshops, procurement fairs, and conferences

• Delivering internal training opportunities and workshops

Working with Local Small Businesses As noted above, TMP has a local small business focus due to its 13-county geography. Within the current TMP pool, 62% of businesses registered are in Hennepin County and 40% of those businesses are in Minneapolis.

Prompt Payment to Help with Cash Flow We understand that managing cash flow for a small business is critical. In response to this, the City can pay, on average, within 8-10 calendar days of receipt of an invoice for TMP suppliers or within 35 calendar days of receipt of an invoice for all other vendors, provided, the services or goods received are satisfactory and the invoice is approved by the department manager who ordered it. In addition, TMP suppliers are on a “Due Now” payment status, which allows for faster payment for their services, once the invoice has been approved by the department manager.

Debriefings If you submitted a proposal on an event and were not awarded the contract, Procurement staff are happy to hold a debriefing with you to discuss the outcome.

• Definition: A debriefing is a focused conversation between a bidder or proposer, Procurement staff and the contract manager that reviews the relative strengths and weakness of the bid or proposal in relation to published evaluation criteria or responsiveness requirements.

• What it Does Not Include: It is not a review or comparison of all bids or proposals submitted relative to the bidder’s or proposer’s proposal.

• When They Occur: Debriefings are provided, upon request, to bidders or proposers who are not moving forward to contracting after an event has been awarded and a contract is executed.

https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/ncr/language-services/

7 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis

City of Minneapolis Purchasing Thresholds For additional information on the contracting thresholds referenced below, please visit Procurement’s “Charter & Code of Ordinances” page.

Target Market Program (TMP) Opportunities Contracts up to $175,000

• Contracts under $175,000 are TMP eligible.

• Provided there are at least 3 TMP bidders or suppliers available in a category, the contracting opportunity is first bid out informally to TMP bidders/suppliers

• If a contract opportunity cannot be fulfilled through soliciting TMP bidders/suppliers, the City will solicit the opportunity to the general marketplace.

Methods of Procurement Small Dollar Purchases

• Departments have discretion for making small purchases under $5,000.

• Where able, staff are encouraged to engage the TMP pool when opportunities exist.

Quotation Contracts exceeding $5,000 but not $175,000:

• Contracts for goods and general services may be obtained through an informal Request for Quote (RFQ) or a Request for Proposal (RFP) process.

• Quotes accepted must be the lowest, responsive, and responsible quote. Proposals accepted must all be responsive and responsible.

• A minimum of two quotes or proposals are needed when possible.

Required to Advertise to the General Public Contracts over $175,000:

• Contracts for goods and general services (including construction) require a formal sealed Call for Bids (CFB) process.

• Professional services contracts are solicited through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process.

• The Civil Rights Department reviews for compliance with SUBP requirements.

• If SUBP goals are assigned, bidders or proposers are required to submit a completed and signed

Bidders Solicitation and a Preliminary SUBP Commitment List with the bid or proposal.

• If SUBP goals are assigned and the apparent low bidder or proposer commits to meeting the

SUBP goals, then the apparent low bidder or proposer must submit the Final SUBP Commitment Form and letters of intent to subcontract for each SUBP firm the bidder or proposer listed by 5:00 p.m. the day after bid opening.

• If SUBP goals are assigned and the apparent low bidder or proposer does not commit to meeting the SUBP goals, then the apparent low bidder or proposer must submit good faith efforts documentation by 5:00 p.m. the day after bid opening.

https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/charter-and-code-of-ordinances/

8 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis

Contract Thresholds requiring payment of certain wages or workforce diversity and inclusion goals For additional information on the contracting thresholds below, please visit the Contract Compliance Division page.

Federal Davis Bacon Act (Prevailing Wage)

• Applies to contractors and subcontractors performing on federally funded or assisted contracts in excess of $2,000 for the construction, alteration, or repair (including painting and decorating) of public buildings or public works.

• Contractors and subcontractors must pay their laborers and mechanics employed under the contract no less than the local prevailing wages and fringe benefits for corresponding work on similar projects in the area.

The City Prevailing Wage Ordinance

• All contractors and subcontractors performing work on city-funded (or state funded) construction projects in excess of $2,000 are required to pay their laborers and mechanics no less than the prevailing wage rate. Covered contracts in excess of $50,000 will require payroll of laborers and mechanics to be submitted electronically in the LCPtracker online portal by for contractor onsite performing labor. (Initial setup in LCPtracker is available on the City website on the Department of Civil Rights Compliance and Reporting page.) LCPtracker user guides and training videos are available by clicking on the “Training Materials” link at the top of your account page. Prime contractors are responsible for monitoring and approving subcontractor payrolls and helping subcontractors with any LCPtracker related questions. Documentation of payments may be audited by the Contract Compliance Division. Contractors and subcontractors must keep payroll records for at least one year after work completion.

Affirmative Action Every developer, contractor, consultant, supplier, or bidder is required to have an approved Affirmative Action Planning on file with the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights prior to entering into a City contract initially or cumulatively over $100,000. Affirmative Action Plans are approved for three years.

Plans or approvals from a partner agency must be submitted online.

Women and Minority Workforce Goals For all City construction and development projects exceeding $100,000, Bidders must meet the following workforce goals during construction or document a good faith effort to do so.

• 20% of the total project trade hours to be performed by females

• 32% of the total project trade hours to be performed by minorities https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/civil-rights/contract-compliance-division/ https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/civil-rights/contract-compliance-division/ https://prod.lcptracker.net/WebForms/Login.aspx https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/civil-rights/contract-compliance-division/contract-reporting/ https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/civil-rights/contract-compliance-division/affirmative-action-planning/ https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/civil-rights/contract-compliance-division/affirmative-action-planning/

9 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis

Insurance and Bonding Requirements Insurance Requirements Businesses contracting with the City must maintain insurance that meets the following requirements through the term of a contract. Insurance requirements may vary from event to event. It is important to review insurance requirements prior to submitting a bid or proposal to make sure all requirements can be met. Additional requirements may apply depending on the scope of work to be provided. Below are examples of insurance limits that may be required; always review the event for event-specific insurance requirements:

Insurance Type Professional Services and Commodities Under $175,000

Professional Services and Commodities Over $175,000

Construction Over $175,000

Worker’s Compensation

• $100,000 each accident

• $500,000 disease policy limit

• $100,000 disease each employee

• $100,000 each accident

• $500,000 disease policy limit

• $100,000 disease each employee

• $100,000 each accident

• $500,000 disease policy limit

• $100,000 disease each

Employee Commercial General Liability

• $300,000 per claim / $500,000 aggregate

• $2,000,000 per claim / $2,000,000 aggregate

• $2,000,000 general Aggregate

Commercial Automobile Liability

• $100,000 per claim / $500,000 aggregate

• $1,000,000 per claim / $2,000,000 aggregate

• $1,000,000 per Accident

Professional Liability • $1,000,000 per claim / $2,000,000 for all claims during coverage period

• $2,000,000 per claim / $2,000,000 annual aggregate

• May or May Not Be Applicable

Network Security and Privacy Liability

• $1,000,000 per claim • $1,000,000 per claim / $2,000,000 annual aggregate

• May or May Not Be Applicable

Builder’s Risk • Not Applicable • Not Applicable • May or May Not Be Applicable

Bonding Requirements Performance and Payment Bonds

• Contracts for public improvements such as construction projects i.e. street repair, new building construction, asbestos abatement, require payment and performance bonds by state law.

• Other types of contracts such as solid waste services, IT systems, or water treatment chemicals may require bonds based on the specifics of the contract and the risk represented to the City.

• It is important to review each event for bonding requirements.

• Specifications for applicable contracts must note the amount of bonds to be given and the contractors must, with the contract, execute the bonds with sureties to be approved by the officer signing and countersigning the contract in the sum fixed.

10 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis

Registering as a Bidder in the eSupplier Portal

• If you are interested in doing business with the City the first step to take is to register in the eSupplier portal through Bidder Registration. The eSupplier Portal is the City’s online portal where you can view contracting opportunities. It is also where all bids and RFP responses must be submitted.

• To register you must go to the City’s eSupplier Portal page and click on the tile reading “Use the Portal”.

• The City of Minneapolis eSupplier Bidder Registration Guide provides detailed guidance on how to register. In addition, the eSupplier guides and forms page has videos and written instructions that provide additional guidance.

• If you have questions or issues registering, please contact us by phone or e-mail:

Phone: 612 673-2311 E-mail: eProcurement@minneapolismn.gov

Reviewing Contracting Opportunities Contracting opportunities may be viewed through the eSupplier Portal. To review a public event, click on the “Contracting Opportunities” tile located on the eSupplier Public Homepage. From here, you can view the public event information, when the opportunity ends, and other key dates. You do not need to log into the eSupplier Portal to view contracting opportunities open to the general public.

Additional information on how to find contracting opportunities may be found on the eSupplier Portal Instructions page under the “Bidding, Contracting and E-signatures” section.

Bidding and Contracting The City of Minnepaolis eSupplier, Bidding, Contracting and eSignature Guide provides detailed information on bidding and contracting. This guide may be found on the eSupplier Portal Instructions page. Below are a few things to note about bidding and contracting.

Bidding & Bid Award

• There are two types of bids: invited or public. If you are invited to bid, active contacts listed in the supplier record will receive an e-mail invitation detailing the contracting opportunity. It will read “Event Invitation”. Public bids, which is a bid that is open to any registered bidder, can be found under the “Contracting Opportunities” tile.

• To bid on an invited event, you may click the link in the e-mail entitled “Review and bid on this event”. You must then log into the eSupplier Portal to bid on the event.

• Once logged in, you must click on “Contracting Opportunities”. You will then be able to click on the “Public Events” tab to view the events you have been invited to and may select the appropriate event to view details. You may also click on the “Public Events” tab to view all events open to the general public.

• Once on the “Event Details” page you may view the bid packages and download documents. You will also be able to bid on the event from this page by clicking on “Bid on Event” at the top of the page.

https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/registration-guide/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/registration-guide/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/guides-forms/ mailto:eProcurement@minneapolismn.gov https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/registration-guide/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/submit-bid/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/submit-bid/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/registration-instructions/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/submit-bid/

11 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis

• If your company is recommended for award, you will receive a “Notice of Intent to Award” e-mail and you may be contacted further by Procurement or the Civil Rights Department to gather additional requirements.

• Depending on the dollar value of the bid, additional internal City process will be done to obtain required approvals in advance of the contracting process.

Contracting

• Once an event has been awarded and internal City approvals have been obtained, you will begin the contracting process with the City.

• During the contracting process you may be required to submit a Certificate of Insurance, Payment and Performance Bonds and/or a W-9. If you are not set up for direct deposit payment you will also complete an ACH form from Accounts Payable and return to accountspayable@minneapolismn.gov. Direct deposit into your bank account from the City ensures faster payments than physical checks.

• The City uses DocuSign for electronic signatures. When the contract is ready for signature, you will receive an e-mail from DocuSign requesting your signature.

• Additional information on contracting and signatures may be found in the City of Minneapolis eSupplier, Bidding, Contracting and eSignature Guide located at the bottom of the eSupplier Portal Instructions webpage.

Planning Ahead Before responding to a bid there are a few things your business can do to reduce stress in preparing to make a timely, successful bid.

• Complete bidder registration in the e-Supplier Portal prior to entering a bid or proposal. This allows for questions and issues to be resolved in advance and without the pressure of an event due date. Bidder registration can be completed online at the City of Minneapolis eSupplier portal site.

• Choose and update your categories. In the eSupplier Portal the categories you select are important because it lets the system know which contracting opportunities you should receive notifications about, in your email inbox. Having the appropriate categories selected helps to ensure you are invited for opportunities that are aligned with the goods and services your company provides.

• If you are already registered, great! Periodically review your profile for accuracy. Ensure that changes to your organization are reflected in your profile so that emails and payments can go to the correct person. An account should be reviewed for accuracy at least annually.

• Leave ample time for submission. We understand that business owners are busy and responding to bids can be time consuming. However, the City operates on an electronic bidding system and will automatically close an event at the specified close date and time. Please do not wait until the last minute to submit your bid or proposal.

mailto:accountspayable@minneapolismn.gov https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/registration-instructions/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/registration-instructions/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/submit-bid/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/submit-bid/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/submit-bid/

12 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis

• Attend pre-bids/pre-proposal meetings. Pre-bid/Pre-proposal meetings are usually conducted by the Department Project Manager, Consultant, Civil Rights and Procurement to share information about the project specifications, drawings, Civil Rights requirements, and special instructions. This is an opportunity for you to visit the project site and ask questions directly.

• Submit questions in a timely manner. Events have a question and answer period. This period is useful to address ambiguity in the event or to receive direction on acceptable options for your bid/proposal. Use this time to gather information to fully understand the requirements of the event and the work scope to avoid unforeseen issues later.

• Develop partnerships early in the process. There are numerous subcontractors, surety firms and insurance firms which can help your business meet the requirements of the event. Working with these partners early in the event process will allow time to receive multiple quotes, negotiate rates and contracts, and finalize bids/proposals prior to the event deadline.

• Review responsiveness requirements prior to submission. READ the instructions to understand the requirements. READ the specifications to understand the scope of the project. Double check your documents to make sure that all required documents have the required signatures before submitting.

• Ensure your insurance policy meets requirements. Familiarize yourself with the insurance requirements mentioned above. If your policy does not currently meet the requirements, it is advised to update your policy as needed. At a minimum, at the time of award notification, you should immediately update your policy if it is not meeting requirements.

• Know who to contact within the City. Contact the buyer listed in the event for detailed questions about the event itself. Contact eProcurement@minneapolismn.gov to help with login issues or general questions on how to submit your bid or proposal.

Billing and Payment Setting Up Direct Deposit If your company is not already a supplier in the system, once a contract is awarded, your company will be converted from a bidder to a supplier. At that time, the Accounts Payable department will request a W- 9 and send you the City of Minneapolis Vendor ACH/EFT Enrollment Form (ACH Form). You must complete this form and e-mail both the form and W-9 to accountspayable@minneapolismn.gov. Once you are set up for direct deposit you will not have to submit the ACH Form again, unless your direct deposit account provided need changes. The W-9 may be found on the Invoices and Payments page at the bottom under “Related Forms”.

Invoicing and Payment mailto:eProcurement@minneapolismn.gov https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-9 https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-9 mailto:accountspayable@minneapolismn.gov https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/invoice-payment/

13 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis

The City requires itemized invoices to initiate and process payment on any purchase order or contract.

The purchase order number must appear on all invoices. You may locate your purchase order number by logging into the eSupplier Portal. Once you log in, you will see an icon on the main page that reads “Purchase Orders.” Once you click on that icon you will see a page where you can search for purchase orders by date. Select the appropriate date range and click “Search”. You will then see a list of all of your purchase orders and the purchase order number will be listed in the purchase order column.

All invoices must contain the following information:

• Invoice number

• Invoice date

• Detailed description of the purchase

• Amount owed

• Department name and employee name

• Purchase order section: the purchase order number, if known (City of Minneapolis purchase order numbers are six digits and appear after MPLMN0000)

• Contract number (if one is assigned)

• Ship to section: the department's full address

Payment is made after receipt of correct invoices and delivery and acceptance of material as specified on the purchase order. E-mailed invoices are preferred and paid faster. They should be submitted to submitinvoices@minneapolismn.gov. Invoices may be submitted via U.S. Mail to:

City of Minneapolis-Procurement Accounts Payable 505 South 4th Avenue Room 310 Minneapolis MN 55415

As noted above, the City pays via direct deposit. For additional information on submitting invoices, please visit the Invoices and Payments page.

https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/account/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/account/ mailto:submitinvoices@minneapolismn.gov https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/invoice-payment/

14 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis

Direct Links & Resources If you experienced any trouble with hyperlinks in this Guidebook or received a hardcopy, below are the direct links that may be copied and pasted into your browser. If you receive an error message for a link, please do e-mail procurement@minneapolismn.gov and note “Guidebook link error message” and include the link.

• Disparity Study: (https://mn.gov/admin/disparity-study/)

• Target Market Program: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/target-market/

• eSupplier Portal Login and Instructions: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions

• Small and Underutilized Business Program (SUBP):

https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/civil-rights/contract-compliance-division/small-underutilized-business/

• MnUCP Apply for DBE Certification:

https://mnucp.org/Apply-for-Certification.aspx

• MnUCP Directory:

https://mnucp.metc.state.mn.us

• Contract Compliance Information Management System (required for SUBP and Affirmative Action Plan monitoring):

https://mpls.diversitycompliance.com/?TN=mpls

• HUD Section 3 Program:

https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/civil -rights/contract-compliance-division/hud-section-3/

• Language Services:

https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/ncr/ language-services/

• Governing Ordinances, Statutes, and Policies:

https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/finance/what-we-do/procurement

• City of Minneapolis eSupplier Bidder Registration Guide:

https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions

• City of Minneapolis eSupplier Bidding, Contracting and Electronic Signatures Guide:

https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/submit-bid/ mailto:procurement@minneapolismn.gov https://mn.gov/admin/disparity-study/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/target-market/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/target-market/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/civil-rights/contract-compliance-division/small-underutilized-business/ https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/civil-rights/contract-compliance-division/small-underutilized-business/ https://mnucp.org/Apply-for-Certification.aspx https://mnucp.metc.state.mn.us/ https://mpls.diversitycompliance.com/?TN=mpls https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/civil-rights/contract-compliance-division/hud-section-3/ https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/civil-rights/contract-compliance-division/hud-section-3/ https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/ncr/language-services/ https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/ncr/language-services/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/finance/what-we-do/procurement https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/submit-bid/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/esupplier-instructions/submit-bid/

15 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis

• Request Payment:

https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/invoice-payment/

City Departments and Resources Departments across the City offer services, resources and information relevant to businesses. Below are several departments that do just that.

Procurement Manages purchases, contracts, payments and Target Market Program https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/finance/what-we-do/procurement

Department of Civil Rights Manages contract compliance and SUBP https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/civil-rights/

Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED), Business Assistance Offers business coaching & training; business financing and business partners https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/business-assistance/

CPED, Business Licenses & Consumer Services Manages licenses and permits https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/licenses-permits-inspections/business-licenses/

CPED, Planning and Zoning Provides zoning related information https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/planning-zoning/

Neighborhood and Community Relations (NCR) Provides ADA accessibility resources and translation and interpretation resources https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/ncr/

Additional Resources For a list of resources for small businesses, please see our Business Resources List located on pages 18- 21 of this Guidebook.

https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/doing-business-with-the-city/invoice-payment/ https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.minneapolismn.gov%2Fgovernment%2Fdepartments%2Ffinance%2Fwhat-we-do%2Fprocurement&data=05%7C02%7Celnura.musazade%40minneapolismn.gov%7C4de9efc00b994b5e7cbd08dd3c9bf995%7C0bfb3f5ae8ea4d54b0212b2f910c715f%7C0%7C0%7C638733363085159453%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=MVKbqHCox3wbYaIhLihuLAS5UirJAnXHHk7u4a16Frs%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww2.minneapolismn.gov%2Fgovernment%2Fdepartments%2Fcivil-rights%2F&data=05%7C02%7Celnura.musazade%40minneapolismn.gov%7C4de9efc00b994b5e7cbd08dd3c9bf995%7C0bfb3f5ae8ea4d54b0212b2f910c715f%7C0%7C0%7C638733363085174009%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=UZPLT9jPWRQSomjMDdDvN2g4i32EzajTftr4Kqt0bi0%3D&reserved=0 https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/business-assistance/ https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww2.minneapolismn.gov%2Fbusiness-services%2Flicenses-permits-inspections%2Fbusiness-licenses%2F&data=05%7C02%7Celnura.musazade%40minneapolismn.gov%7C4de9efc00b994b5e7cbd08dd3c9bf995%7C0bfb3f5ae8ea4d54b0212b2f910c715f%7C0%7C0%7C638733363085188419%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=2afN52CXbqlc%2B21TCAJxh%2By7qldRRdawoVtjv0QZsTo%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww2.minneapolismn.gov%2Fbusiness-services%2Flicenses-permits-inspections%2Fbusiness-licenses%2F&data=05%7C02%7Celnura.musazade%40minneapolismn.gov%7C4de9efc00b994b5e7cbd08dd3c9bf995%7C0bfb3f5ae8ea4d54b0212b2f910c715f%7C0%7C0%7C638733363085188419%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=2afN52CXbqlc%2B21TCAJxh%2By7qldRRdawoVtjv0QZsTo%3D&reserved=0 https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/planning-zoning/ https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww2.minneapolismn.gov%2Fgovernment%2Fdepartments%2Fncr%2F&data=05%7C02%7Celnura.musazade%40minneapolismn.gov%7C4de9efc00b994b5e7cbd08dd3c9bf995%7C0bfb3f5ae8ea4d54b0212b2f910c715f%7C0%7C0%7C638733363085213703%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=0M1%2B%2FB9DWXujehYuxUSJPKbwY4V0k9JZtQ6h%2FgLwvnA%3D&reserved=0

16 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis

Contacting Procurement Phone: (612) 673-2500

TTY: (612) 263-6850

Email: procurement@minneapolismn.gov Web Address: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/finance/what-we-do/procurement

Mailing Address:

505 South 4th Avenue Room 310 Minneapolis MN 55415 mailto:procurement@minneapolismn.gov https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/finance/what-we-do/procurement

17 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis

Associations (minority-owned and women-owned businesses)

Association of Women Contractors (AWC) 1337 St. Clair Ave., Ste. 4 St. Paul, MN 55105 651-489-2221 https://awcmn.org/

Minnesota Minority Goods & Services Association (MMGSA) P.O. Box 32264 Fridley, Minnesota 55432 612-759-0955 https://www.mmgsa.org/

National Association of Minority Contractors

(NAMC)

810 South 7th Street Minneapolis, MN 55415 612-521-3366 http://www.namc-um.org/

Business Service Providers

African Economic Development Solutions

(AEDS)

1821 University Ave. W.

St Paul, MN 55104 651-646-9411 http://aeds-mn.org

Lake Street Council 919 E Lake Street Minneapolis, MN 55407 612-824-7420 https://www.visitlakestreet.com/

African Development Center (ADC) 1931 S 5th Street Minneapolis, MN 55454 612-877-8270 http://www.adcminnesota.org

Metropolitan Economic Development Association

(MEDA)

250 Second Avenue South Suite 106, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401 612-332-6332 http://meda.net

Asian Economic Development Association

(AEDA)

422 University Ave. W., Suite 14 St Paul, MN 55103 651-222-7798 http://aedamn.org

Minnesota Procurement Technical Assistance Center

(MN PTAC)

Minnesota Department of Administration 200 Administration Building 50 Sherburne Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55155 651-201-2629 https://mn.gov/admin/business/vendor-info/apexaccelerator/

Business Resources List https://awcmn.org/ https://www.mmgsa.org/ http://www.namc-um.org/ http://aeds-mn.org/ https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.visitlakestreet.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7Celnura.musazade%40minneapolismn.gov%7C4de9efc00b994b5e7cbd08dd3c9bf995%7C0bfb3f5ae8ea4d54b0212b2f910c715f%7C0%7C0%7C638733363085238462%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Oh5NLQM5dA1JhlzT3Wlk120B0TZ6zFvMdWwP6oh84ok%3D&reserved=0 http://www.adcminnesota.org/ http://meda.net/ http://aedamn.org/ https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmn.gov%2Fadmin%2Fbusiness%2Fvendor-info%2Fapexaccelerator%2F&data=05%7C02%7Celnura.musazade%40minneapolismn.gov%7C4de9efc00b994b5e7cbd08dd3c9bf995%7C0bfb3f5ae8ea4d54b0212b2f910c715f%7C0%7C0%7C638733363085250896%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Fmm8SH5KfgTyXNpv6hGRaDwTS5IiIIjPzGGuTm6uPYk%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmn.gov%2Fadmin%2Fbusiness%2Fvendor-info%2Fapexaccelerator%2F&data=05%7C02%7Celnura.musazade%40minneapolismn.gov%7C4de9efc00b994b5e7cbd08dd3c9bf995%7C0bfb3f5ae8ea4d54b0212b2f910c715f%7C0%7C0%7C638733363085250896%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Fmm8SH5KfgTyXNpv6hGRaDwTS5IiIIjPzGGuTm6uPYk%3D&reserved=0

18 A Guide to Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis

Minnesota Council on Disability (MCD) Protect Your Business, Remove Barriers 121 E 7th Place, Suite 107 Saint Paul, MN 55101 651-361-7800 https://www.disability.state.mn.us/information-and-assistance/protect-your-business-remove-barriers/

Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON) Network 1007 West Broadway Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411 612-302-1505 https://www.neon-mn.org/

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) 332 Minnesota Street, Suite E200 Saint Paul, MN 55101 651-556-8425 https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/sbdc/

University of St. Thomas/Small Business Development Center (SBDC) 1000 LaSalle Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55403 Phone: 651-962-4500 https://business.stthomas.edu/centers-institutes/small-business-development/

Minnesota Department of Human Rights

(MDHR)

540 Fairview Avenue North, Suite 201 Saint Paul MN 55104 651-539-1100 https://mn.gov/mdhr/

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 330 Second Avenue South, Suite 430 Minneapolis, MN 55403 612-370-2324 https://www.sba.gov/offices/district/mn/minneapolis

Neighborhood Development Center (NDC) 663 University Ave. W., #200 St Paul, MN 55104 651-291-2480 http://www.ndc-mn.org

WomenVenture 2021 E Hennepin Ave, Suite 200 Minneapolis, MN 55413 612-224-9540 https://www.womenventure.org

Certifications (minority-owned and women-owned businesses)

Central (CERT) Certification Program 15 Kellogg Blvd. West Saint Paul, MN 55102 651-266-8989 https://cert.smwbe.com/?TN=cert

Minnesota Small Business Certification Portal This portal allows a business to apply for certification to CERT, MnUCP and TG/ED/VO in one place.

https://sbcp.mn.gov/

Minnesota Unified Certification Program (MnUCP) City of Minneapolis Representative Contact Information 350 5th Street South, Room 239 Minneapolis, MN 55415 612-673-2602 https://mnucp.org/

North Central Minority Supplier Development Council (NCMSDC) 111 Third Avenue South, Suite 375 Minneapolis, MN 55401…