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Selling to the State of Alabama

Purchasing portal, certifications and where to get help

How a company registers as a supplier with the State of Alabama, the state's certification programs and drone programs, and where to get help in Alabama, with the official sources. Federal registrations such as SAM.gov are in the federal guides.

Purchasing portal

Alabama Buys (State of Alabama e-procurement system, Department of Finance, Division of Procurement)

How to register

  1. Go to alabamabuys.gov and click New Supplier Registration (lower right of the page).
  2. Fill in the form. Fields with a red asterisk are required: registration type (US or Non-US), organization type (company or individual), legal name, doing-business-as (DBA) name if any, 1099 classification, taxpayer identification number (TIN) type and number, a contact person with email and work phone, a password, and the legal address. The email address becomes the sign-in ID.
  3. Add the commodity codes for what the company sells. The State's guide calls them optional, but the State uses them to invite suppliers to its solicitations.
  4. Enter the security code at the bottom of the page and click Register. This finishes the initial registration.
  5. Sign in with the email and password, accept the terms and conditions, and open Company Profile.
  6. On the Financial Documents tab, attach the first page of a completed IRS Form W-9 (U.S. suppliers), W-8BEN-E (non-U.S. entity) or W-8BEN (non-U.S. individual). To be paid electronically (EFT, electronic funds transfer), also attach a voided check or a bank letter on bank letterhead.
  7. On the Other Documents tab, attach a letter on company letterhead showing the legal name, 1099 TIN and legal (1099) address, or a signed and dated IRS Form 8822(B). Certifications can also be added here. Attachments are limited to 6 MB per profile.
  8. On the Remit Address tab, add the address where payments go. Add bank details there for direct deposit. Complete the check details and the remittance contact.
  9. Click Complete Full Registration. Fix any errors shown on the Company Information tab until the dashboard shows 'Active Supplier Onboard Complete'.
  10. Wait for review. The State Comptroller's Office checks the W-9, EFT, legal name, TIN and address, and contacts the supplier if something must be corrected. EFT payments start after a 20-day holding period; payments come by paper check until then.
  11. For any proposal, bid, contract or grant proposal over $25,000, file the State of Alabama Disclosure Statement (Code of Alabama Section 41-16-82). On a competitive bid, only the winning supplier files it, within 10 days of the award.
  12. For help, contact the Alabama Buys Help Desk: alabamabuys@purchasing.alabama.gov or 334-353-0700.

State certifications

  • Minority-owned and/or Women-owned Business Enterprise certification (OMBE Program)Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), Office of Minority Business Enterprise (OMBE)Businesses at least 51% owned, controlled and run day to day by at least one individual who is economically and socially disadvantaged as defined in the OMBE Policies and Procedures. The business must have been under that ownership for at least the previous two years and must have a legal presence in, and a license to operate in, Alabama. ADECA says the certification lasts two years and does not require the business to be a State vendor. Apply with the OMBE Application for Certification Form on the ADECA page.
  • Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concession DBE (ACDBE) certificationAlabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), Alabama Unified Certification Program (ALUCP)Small, for-profit businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals that want to work on transportation projects paid for with U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) funds. Under U.S. DOT's October 3, 2025 interim final rule, and the final rule scheduled for Federal Register publication on September 25, 2026, each owner must show disadvantage individually through a personal narrative; race and sex are no longer presumed. ALDOT began reevaluating certified firms on March 31, 2026. Applicants send the Uniform Certification Application, a Personal Net Worth Statement for each disadvantaged owner, and supporting documents to ALUCP (DBEProgram@dot.state.al.us, 888-297-5305).

Drone programs

  • ALDOT Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) ProgramAlabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT)ALDOT's program for using drones in transportation engineering and construction, photogrammetry and aerial mapping, and public utilities work, led by a UAS Task Force. Contact: aldotuastaskforce@dot.state.al.us or 334-353-6554. The page does not describe a program for outside drone companies.

Where to get help in Alabama

  • APEX AcceleratorAPEX Accelerator of Alabama (formerly Alabama PTAC, the Procurement Technical Assistance Center), hosted by The University of Alabama; free one-on-one help from offices in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Huntsville, Jacksonville, Montgomery, Florence, Mobile and TroyAPEX Accelerator website
  • Small Business Development Center (SBDC)Alabama Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, a statewide program with 10 centers at member university partners and a network office in Tuscaloosa; free, confidential advising, including government marketing and procurement helpSBDC website
  • Economic developmentAlabama Department of Commerce (Made in Alabama)Economic development agency website

The federal guides

  • Where to startThe order: the basics, codes and size, SAM.gov, certifications, drone rules, documents, where to sell, and free and low-cost help.
  • SAM.gov registrationThe federal government's free registration for companies that want federal contracts: the Unique Entity ID, the CAGE code and the yearly renewal.
  • Codes and profilesNAICS and PSC codes, SBA size standards, CAGE and NCAGE codes, and the SBA Small Business Search profile buyers search.
  • SBA certificationsThe SBA's 8(a), HUBZone, women-owned (WOSB and EDWOSB) and veteran-owned (VetCert) programs: who each is for and how to apply.
  • Drone complianceThe rules for selling drones to government and flying them: NDAA and the American Security Drone Act, Blue UAS, the FCC, FAA Part 107, ITAR, EAR and CMMC.
  • Documents to prepareWhat government buyers, SBA lenders, SBIR and STTR programs and investors ask to see.
  • Selling to federal buyersWhere federal contracts, subcontracts and research funding are posted: SAM.gov, primes, the GSA schedule, SBIR and STTR, DIU, AFWERX, the Army, the Navy, SOFWERX and DHS.
  • Utilities and public buyersUtilities, HUD-funded agencies, state transportation departments, cities and counties, and cooperative contracts such as Sourcewell and NASPO ValuePoint.
  • Free and low-cost helpAPEX Accelerators, SBDCs, SBA district offices, SCORE, veterans' and women's business centers, MEP centers and agency small business offices.

Official sources

Last checked September 25, 2026. Rules, fees and programs change; the official sources are where to confirm them before applying or spending money.

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Autonomy Runway is not a law firm, an accounting firm or a financial adviser, and nothing we publish is legal, tax or financial advice. The guides are general information with links to the official sources, and the tools organize your own facts and decisions. For advice about your situation, talk to a lawyer, an accountant or a financial adviser. See all our disclaimers.