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Selling to the Commonwealth of Kentucky

Purchasing portal, certifications and where to get help

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

Purchasing portal

Kentucky Vendor Self Service (VSS), Finance and Administration Cabinet eProcurement

How to register

  1. Gather the details the Finance and Administration Cabinet asks for: legal name, DBA (doing business as) name if any, tax organization type and classification, federal tax ID (EIN, Employer Identification Number, or SSN), ordering and payment addresses, and contacts for the account administrator, ordering and payment.
  2. Pick the five-digit NIGP (National Institute of Governmental Purchasing) commodity codes for what the company sells. The codes decide which bid emails the company receives.
  3. Go to Vendor Self Service at https://vss.ky.gov/ and click Register. Read the Registration Agreement and click "Accept Terms," then read the Registration Tips page.
  4. Search for an existing account by EIN or company name. A company that did business with Kentucky before may already have a record. If so, activate that record instead of registering again.
  5. If no record is found, click New Registration. Create a user ID and password and enter the account holder's contact details.
  6. Verify the email address. Open the email from Finance.CRCGroup@ky.gov and click the link (it works one time), then sign in.
  7. Choose the TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number) type and the business classification. Enter the business information, including the 1099 address.
  8. Enter the administrative, ordering and payment addresses and contacts. A billing address is optional.
  9. Add commodity codes and any business types (for example, Minority Business or Small Business). Review the Registration Summary and click Submit Registration.
  10. Watch for two emails: one confirming receipt, and one after the Finance Customer Resource Center verifies the registration. The second email may ask for more information.
  11. For help, contact the Finance Customer Resource Center at 502-564-9641, toll-free 877-973-4357, or Finance.CRCGroup@ky.gov.

State certifications

  • Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) CertificationKentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet, Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Contract ComplianceBusinesses owned by women and minorities, according to the Finance and Administration Cabinet. The Cabinet has separate online applications for standard Kentucky businesses, out-of-state businesses, Kentucky businesses already DBE-certified by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (streamlined), and Kentucky nonprofits. Create a Kentucky.gov account first, then apply online. The Cabinet says paper applications are no longer accepted. Help: finance.mwbe@ky.gov, (502) 564-2875.
  • Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) CertificationKentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet, Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Contract ComplianceService-disabled veterans who own a business and live in Kentucky. The Cabinet's instructions define majority ownership as at least 51% owned by a veteran with a service-connected disability and ask for proof of each veteran owner's Kentucky residency. Kentucky businesses already certified through SBA's VetCert program or holding Kentucky MWBE certification can use a streamlined application. Applications are online only; the Cabinet no longer accepts paper applications. Staff may hold an owner interview, and the Kentucky Business Certification Committee decides. Approved businesses are certified for three years from the date of approval. A denied applicant has 30 days to appeal. Help: Finance.SDVOSB@ky.gov, 502-564-2874.
  • Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), Airport Concessions DBE (ACDBE) and Small Business Enterprise (SBE) certificationKentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), Office for Civil Rights and Small Business DevelopmentDBE: firms owned by socially and economically disadvantaged people, for projects funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). SBE: small businesses that meet business size standards and personal net worth limits. Apply through the KYTC online portal: https://b2gnow.gob2g.com/?TN=Kytc. Help: KYTC.OCRSBD@ky.gov, (502) 564-3601.

Drone programs

  • Kentucky Department of Aviation Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Department of AviationServes as the clearinghouse for UAS (drone) information for Kentucky's Executive Branch. The Department says it works with government, industry and academia to encourage safe and responsible use of the technology. Contact: KYTC.UAS@ky.gov, (502) 564-3385.

Where to get help in Kentucky

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.