Marketing Tips
- Request the Statewide Contract logo from your Category Management Team
- Identify the Massachusetts state agencies required to use SWCs
- Find buyer information for cities, towns, counties, and school districts
- Understand the laws: SWCs satisfy 30B municipal procurement regulations
- Get involved with local government organizations
- Review bid solicitations for new business opportunities
- Consider nationwide government agencies
- Claim your profile in Procurated and ask for buyer reviews
- Submit your marketing pieces for approval before use
- Attend the Marketing Your Business to Public Purchasers class
- Refer to OSD’s Marketing Strategies page
Potential Buyers
A wide range of organizations are eligible to use SWCs, including Executive Departments, cities and towns, public schools, police and fire departments, public institutions of higher education, housing authorities, and more. Link to the eligible entity list.
Training
Join OSD for online and in-person training classes for guidance in managing various aspects of your contract:
- COMMBUYS Seller Guide
- Marketing Your Business to Public Purchasers
- How the State Buys Goods and Services
- How to Find and Respond to Bids in COMMBUYS
Visit the OSD Vendor Training page for details.
Contract Requirements
- Respond to all Request for Quote notifications with a quote or a “no bid” response in COMMBUYS
- Update your COMMBUYS profile to include relevant commodity codes and ensure contact information is up to date for staff who monitor Bid and Purchase Order activities
- Report quarterly sales in the Vendor Report Management (VRM) portal
- Pay your quarterly contract Administration Fee in the VRM portal
- Provide Environmentally Preferable Products (EPP) sales data, as required
- Achieve your Supplier Diversity Plan (SDP) spending commitment
- Review the Contract User Guide for a summary of benefits and exclusions
Contract Reporting through the VRM
The Vendor Report Management (VRM) portal is a secure, cloud-based tool to streamline the collection of quarterly Sales Reports and Administration (Admin) Fee payments.
- Sales Reports must detail all contract sales for the prior quarter, including EPP sales data and supplier diversity plan (SDP) spending. Sales Reports are due 30 days after the conclusion of the calendar quarter: 1/31; 4/30; 7/31; and 10/31
- SWC Vendors are required to pay a quarterly Administration Fee equal to 1% of the total dollar amounts (adjusted for credits and refunds) paid by eligible entities purchasing from the associated SWC(s). Admin Fee payments are due 45 days after the conclusion of the calendar quarter: 2/15; 5/15; 8/15; and 11/15
- For more information, refer to the Vendor Report Management FAQs page
Environmentally Preferable Products (EPP)
The Environmentally Preferable Products Procurement Program leverages the Commonwealth’s purchasing power to reduce environmental and public health impacts. It sets sustainability standards for Statewide Contracts, promotes EPP purchasing, and supports Executive Department adoption. Review your contract for required climate and environmental specifications and reporting.
Supplier Diversity Program
The purpose of the Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) is to increase business opportunities for diverse businesses and strengthen the Massachusetts business environment and economy.
- The Supplier Diversity Program is a commitment made by SWC Vendors in their bid responses to spend a percentage of their sales each year with certified diverse businesses
- Review your contract to find your SDP commitment percentage
- Contact the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) for assistance in achieving your commitment or to see if you qualify as a small or diverse business
VendorWeb
Maintained by the Office of the State Comptroller, the VendorWeb online database provides past and scheduled payments to your business from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Log in to VendorWeb with your Vendor Code and the last four digits of your business’ tax identification number.
For payments from eligible entities that fall outside of the Commonwealth’s payment system (cities and towns, public schools, non-profits, etc.), contact the purchasing entity directly.
Questions
Contact your Category Management Team with questions.