University of Minnesota Bid Opportunities
UMN Purchasing Services https://purchasing.umn.edu/suppliers
UMN Current Bid Opportunities https://mbid.ionwave.net/CurrentSourcingEvents.aspx
Important Note: The University sometimes leverages contracts from the State of Minnesota or purchasing cooperatives. Check out "Other Bid Opportunities" in the next accordion section. At a minimum, we suggest you register as a supplier in the State of Minnesota supplier portal. This will ensure you will receive notifications of opportunities that arise in your category.
UMN Recently Awarded Bids https://mbid.ionwave.net/AwardedSourcingEvents.aspx
Request to View Winning Proposal (after RFP has closed) University's Data Request Center
Other Bid Opportunities
MINNESOTA
City of Minneapoils Target Market Program
FEDERAL
U.S. Department of Agriculture
BUYING CO-OPS AND CONSORTIUMS
The University sometimes leverages contracts from these buying organizations. Consider joining one or more to expand the reach of your company at the U and beyond.
State of Minnesota’s Cooperative Purchasing Venture (CPV) Program
Certification Resources
APEX Accelerators (formerly PTAC) https://mn.gov/admin/business/vendor-info/apexaccelerator/about/
Disability:IN https://disabilityin.org/what-we-do/supplier-diversity/get-certified/
Women's Business Development Center https://www.wbdc.org/
Professional Associations and Chambers of Commerce
Association of Women Contractors (AWC) https://awcmn.org/
Chinese American Chamber of Commerce https://caccmn.org/
Latino Chamber of Commerce Minnesota https://latinochambermn.com/
Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce https://maicc.org/
Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce https://minnesotablackchamber.org/
Minnesota Chamber of Commerce https://www.mnchamber.com/
Minnesota Minority Goods & Services Association (MMGSA) https://www.mmgsa.org/
National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC) https://namcnational.org/
National Association of Minority Contractors - Midwest Chapter (NAMC-MC) - coming soon
St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce https://www.stpaulchamber.com/
Grants & Funding
Launch MN Innovation Grants https://mn.gov/launchmn/capital/launch-grants/
The Market Entry Fund - grants for food and beverage businesses https://marketentryfund.org/micro-grants
Waste Reduction & Innovation Grant from BizRecycling https://bizrecycling.com/grants/waste-reduction-innovation-grant/
Search Funding Options at MN DEED https://joinusmn.com/doing-business-here/grow-your-business/capital/index.jsp
Free or Low-Cost Technical Assistance for Businesses
Ascent - Elevate Your Business https://ascent.sba.gov/
GREATER MSP Partnership’s Business Bridge - Supplier Toolkit https://businessbridgemn.org/supplier-toolkit
Community Wealth Building Program https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/community-wealth/
The Coven (free digital membership through Elevate Hennepin) https://www.thecoven.com/hc-application
Elevate Hennepin https://www.elevatehennepin.org/
Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA) https://meda.net/
Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD) https://mccdmn.org/open-to-business/
Minnesota Resources for Startups and Small Businesses https://mn.gov/deed/assets/resources-startups-small-businesses-acc_tcm1045-540535.pdf
SBA Learning Center https://learn.sba.gov/dashboard
Small Business Development Centers https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/sbdc/
Startup and Small Business Calendar by Launch MN https://mn.gov/launchmn/calendar/
St. Thomas Family Business Center https://business.stthomas.edu/centers-institutes/family-business-center/
Free Professional Development Webinars
Offered by the University of Minnesota's College of Continuing and Professional Studies, these free one-hour webinar replays offer insights and strategies that you can put into practice at your business immediately. You'll find a wide range of topics that are relevant to professionals at all levels, including leadership, communication, time management, project management, and more.
- Become a Persuasive Business Storyteller
- The Art of Project Management
- Build Better Connections Through Emotional Intelligence
- Managing Difficult Conversations
- View All Professional Development Webinars from CCAPS