Selling to the State of Ohio

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

OhioBuys, the State of Ohio's eProcurement system, run by the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Office of Procurement Services

How to register

1. 1Create an OHID account at ohid.ohio.gov. OHID is the State of Ohio's sign-in account.
2. 2Go to ohiobuys.ohio.gov and register as a bidder in OhioBuys. DAS says you must be registered in OhioBuys to bid on State of Ohio opportunities.
3. 3Add your company contacts and commodity codes. Ohio uses the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC) system.
4. 4Keep your contact and commodity code information up to date. DAS says this is how you receive email notices when a matching solicitation is created.
5. 5Search open bids on the OhioBuys View Public Solicitations page, and submit responses in OhioBuys.
6. 6Use the OhioBuys Bidder and Supplier Learner Guide (on the DAS Bidder & Supplier Training page) for step-by-step registration help.
7. 7For system help, contact OBM Financial Support Services at 614-338-4781 or 1-877-644-6771, or OBM.ContactCenter@obm.ohio.gov with 'OhioBuys' in the subject line.

• Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) ProgramOhio Department of Development, Minority Business Development DivisionBusinesses at least 51% owned and controlled by U.S. citizens who live in Ohio and are Black or African American, American Indian, Hispanic or Latino, or Asian, and in business at least one year. Development says certified firms can compete for 15 percent of state agencies' spending in a sheltered bidding process. Apply with the Unified Application in the Ohio Business Gateway (gateway.ohio.gov); certification lasts up to two years.
• Encouraging Diversity, Growth and Equity (EDGE) ProgramOhio Department of Development, Minority Business Development DivisionBusinesses at least 51% owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged U.S. citizens who live in Ohio, or located in a qualified census tract with an economically disadvantaged owner. Development says economic disadvantage is based mainly on the owner's personal net worth. In business at least one year. Development says state agencies, boards, commissions and universities must meet annual EDGE spending goals.
• Women Business Enterprise (WBE) ProgramOhio Department of Development, Minority Business Development DivisionBusinesses at least 51% owned and controlled by a woman who is a U.S. citizen living in Ohio (or in a reciprocal state), in business at least one year. Development says the WBE program has no procurement goal or set-aside for state contracts.
• Veteran-Friendly Business Enterprise (VFBE) Procurement ProgramOhio Department of Development, Minority Business Development DivisionA business that meets one of these: at least 10% of employees are veterans or on active service; at least 51% owned by veterans or people on active service; for a corporation, at least 51% of the board are veterans or on active service; or certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a service-disabled veteran-owned or veteran-owned small business with an owner who meets Ohio's veteran definition. Development says certified bids may be up to 5% higher, or proposal scores up to 5% lower, and still win.
• Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certificationOhio Department of Transportation (ODOT), Small Business & External Workforce DevelopmentDisadvantaged businesses on U.S. Department of Transportation-assisted work. ODOT's page lists regional workshops on writing a new Personal Narrative (PN) for DBE certification or recertification.

• Ohio Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) CenterOhio Department of Transportation (ODOT), DriveOhioDriveOhio describes the UAS Center as the state's hub for uncrewed aircraft and automated systems. It is located at 1323 West Blee Road, Room 300, Springfield, OH. Contact: uascenter@dot.ohio.gov, 937-497-6739.
• Ohio Statewide Drone First Responder (DFR) Pilot ProgramOhio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and DriveOhio, with SkyfireAIDriveOhio says the pilot was created under Ohio House Bill 96 to support drone use by law enforcement, fire departments and emergency medical services. Eligible recipients are municipal corporations that meet guidelines set by the ODOT Director, who sets the award process. The program brochure says participating public safety agencies deploy state-approved, NDAA-compliant drone systems, each evaluated by ODOT and SkyfireAI for readiness, reliability, cybersecurity compliance and integration. It says more systems may be added after further evaluation, and a complete final list would be published after January 1, 2026. The page links a State Approved Equipment Options document.

• APEX AcceleratorOhio APEX Accelerators (hosted by the Ohio Department of Development; regional offices cover assigned counties)APEX Accelerator website
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC)Not confirmed on an Ohio page. Find an Ohio Small Business Development Center (SBDC) with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) locator.SBA resource partners page
• Economic developmentOhio Department of DevelopmentEconomic development agency website

• 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.

• Ohio Procurement Services: Selling to the State
• Ohio Procurement Services: Using OhioBuys
• OhioBuys
• Ohio DAS Procurement Services
• Ohio Development: Minority Business Enterprise Program
• Ohio Development: EDGE Program
• Ohio Development: Women Business Enterprise Program
• Ohio Development: Veteran-Friendly Business Enterprise Procurement Program
• ODOT Small Business & External Workforce Development
• DriveOhio home page
• DriveOhio: Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Center
• DriveOhio: Drones for First Responders (DFR) Pilot Program
• Ohio Statewide DFR Pilot Program: State-Approved Equipment Options (PDF)
• Ohio Development: APEX Accelerators
• Ohio Development: Small Business & Entrepreneurship
• SBA: Resource Partners (find an SBDC)
• Ohio Department of Development
• SBA: Veteran contracting assistance programs (VetCert)
• DoD APEX Accelerators site and office locator

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

All states