Vendor Business Opportunities

We welcome your interest in supplying goods and services to the City of Williamsburg. Vendors are strongly encouraged to arrange appointments with the Purchasing Agent. You may contact the office at 757-220-6181 (voice), 757-259-8057 (fax), or email at Purchasing Agent, Julie Phares directly.

How Goods & Services Are Purchased

The City of Williamsburg purchases goods, materials, equipment, supplies, printing and services in accordance with the Code of Virginia, Chapter 43, Title 2.2 (Virginia Public Procurement Act) and such rules and regulations as its adopted Purchase Procedures Manual may prescribe.

Vendor Registration & Bidders List

The City of Williamsburg does not have a formal process to register vendors or to maintain a City bidders list. Further, the City does not make determinations as to a vendor’s claim for small, women-owned and minority status.

eVA Vendor Database

The City of Williamsburg utilizes Virginia’s eVA vendor database as its bidders list and primary source for both formal solicitations and for spot purchases. Visit the eVA e-procurement website.

The City of Williamsburg pays no fees for its buyers to access eVA. Instead, eVA is funded by fees charged to participating vendors. To join eVA, vendors select from a Basic Service that costs $25 a year, or a Premium Service for $200 a year. Among services offered are:

  • Bidders list and electronic submission of bid responses and proposals
  • Electronic order receipt
  • Online centralized vendor registration
  • Posting of vendor catalogs
  • Public access to solicitations, awards and other procurement notices

Premium Service

The Premium Service also provides "Push Technology," in which vendors receive e-mail notices of solicitations initiated by all state agencies and participating localities throughout Virginia. "Premium" vendors obtain the ability to research historical procurement data, as well. Before accepting eVA transactions, each vendor signs a Trading Partner Agreement (TPA), which outlines the fees assessed. Vendors pay a one-percent transaction fee for all orders received through eVA. This fee is capped at $500 for each order.

Small, Women-Owned, and Minority-Owned Business (SWaM)

To ensure that small, women-owned and minority businesses have the greatest possible access to participate in City procurement transactions, the City relies upon businesses and individuals to have applied for, and received, SWaM certification from the appropriate state and federal organizations, to have registered their SWaM status with the Virginia Division of Purchases and Supply,  and to have obtained vendor registration on eVA (Virginia’s Total e-Procurement Solution).

General Delegation for Goods & Services - Small Purchases

City department heads and other City employees with administrative exemptions have delegated authority to make purchases directly for goods and services and/or professional services up to $50,000 using established small purchase procedures. Such purchases do not require public bid openings or newspaper advertising of competitively negotiated procurements and are made directly by City departments after obtaining the required number of written or verbal quotations dictated by the anticipated dollar amount of the purchase and determining that the offered price is considered fair and reasonable.

How Large Dollar Amount Goods & Services Purchased

For purchases estimated to cost over $50,000 a formal procurement process using competitive sealed bidding or competitive negotiation is followed. Invitation for Bid (IFB) and Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitations are advertised, as required, on the Virginia eVA electronic procurement website. Solicitations may also be posted on this (City of Williamsburg) website. In order to be assured that you receive notification of City of Williamsburg formal solicitations, you must be registered with the Virginia Division of Purchases and Supply eVA electronic procurement system. To receive an eVA vendor application, call 804-786-3842.

Professional Services

All professional services are procured through competitive negotiation. Only the following services are designated by law as professional services:

  • Accounting
  • Actuarial Services
  • Architecture
  • Dentistry
  • Land Surveying
  • Landscape Architecture
  • Law
  • Medicine
  • Optometry
  • Pharmacy
  • Professional Engineering

All other services are designated non-professional services.