Selling to the State of Rhode Island

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

Ocean State Procures (OSP), Department of Administration, Division of Purchases

How to register

1. 1Gather your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), business type (corporation, LLC and so on) and a main contact email. The Division of Purchases guide lists these for the first phase (soft registration).
2. 2Go to the OSP Vendor Registration page and select Register Here. Read the General Disclaimer, check Yes, I agree, and select Next.
3. 3Organization Information: enter your Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) or Social Security Number, the legal name exactly as on your IRS Form W-9, and your address. The guide says any difference from the W-9, even an abbreviation, delays approval. If the system says your FEIN already exists, do not create a new registration; contact WebProcure support.
4. 4Business Designations: choose your business type, choose Parent/Holding Company or Branch, and select the Rhode Island areas you serve.
5. 5Contact Information: enter the main contact, who administers the account, and create a user name and password.
6. 6Pick UNSPSC (United Nations Standard Products and Services Codes) commodity and service codes. These decide which solicitation notices you receive.
7. 7Select any diversity classifications that apply, then select Submit. Your account is now in Pending status (soft registration). You can view and respond to solicitations.
8. 8Before an award or payment, finish full registration: sign in to OSP, open My Account, go to Organization Attachments and upload your IRS Form W-9 in the W-9 Document folder. The guide says the W-9 signature date cannot be more than one year before the upload date.
9. 9Choose a payment method under Additional Required Attributes: automated clearing house (ACH) direct deposit, check or virtual card. Then choose whether to join the Expedited Payment Discount program (2% 15, Net 30); if you skip it, payment terms default to Net 30.
10. 10Wait for the Rhode Island Supplier Coordinator's email confirming Approved status. The guide says to avoid profile changes while an award is pending, because changes can return the account to Pending.
11. 11Bid with the same account you want the award under. The Division of Purchases FAQ says the OSP Bid Board is open to public viewing with no registration, and a soft registration is enough to respond to bids. Help: suppliersupport@proactisservicedesk.com or 1-866-446-8203 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern, Monday to Friday).

• Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certificationDivision of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (DEDI), Minority Business Enterprise Compliance Office (MBECO), Department of AdministrationSmall businesses at least 51% owned, controlled and managed by economically disadvantaged members of a listed minority group (MBE) or women (WBE). DEDI says owner personal net worth cannot exceed $1,320,000. Out-of-state firms must be certified in their home state first. Since June 6, 2026, applications and annual updates go through the state's Secure Mail portal as ZIP files (25 MB limit). DEDI says the process, including a site visit, generally takes up to 90 days.
• Veteran Business Enterprise (VBE) and Service-Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (SDVBE) certificationDEDI Minority Business Enterprise Compliance OfficeSmall businesses at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more socially and economically disadvantaged veterans who also run daily operations. Applications go through the Secure Mail portal. Contact: dedi.mbeco@doa.ri.gov.
• Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concessionaire DBE (ACDBE) certificationDEDI Minority Business Enterprise Compliance OfficeSmall businesses seeking USDOT-funded contracts with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, Rhode Island Public Transit Authority and Rhode Island Airport Corporation. DEDI says USDOT's October 3, 2025 Interim Final Rule removed race- and sex-based presumptions, and existing DBEs recertify with a Personal Narrative and a Personal Net Worth Statement. Contact: dedi.dbe@doa.ri.gov.
• Disability Business Enterprise certificationGovernor's Commission on Disabilities (GCD), Disability Business Enterprise CommitteeBusinesses owned and controlled by persons with disabilities with 50 or fewer employees; manufacturers or service providers where at least 60% of work hours or direct labor are performed by persons with disabilities; and non-profit rehabilitation facilities. Apply with GCD Form J; the commission's rules call for recertification every year.

• Ocean Tech HubLed by Rhode Island Commerce Corporation (U.S. Economic Development Administration Tech Hub, designated 2023)A Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts network that connects companies building autonomous marine systems, undersea robotics, sensors and related ocean technology to partners, test ranges, shared vessel access, prototyping and funding. Address: 315 Iron Horse Way, Suite 101, Providence, RI 02908.
• Defense sector business developmentRhode Island Commerce CorporationRhode Island Commerce says the state's defense sector is growing in sea, undersea and unmanned systems, and names an Associate Vice President for Business Development in the defense sector as the contact. Phone: (401) 278-9100.

• APEX AcceleratorRhode Island APEX Accelerator (RI APEX), a partner program of Rhode Island CommerceAPEX Accelerator website
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC)Rhode Island Small Business Development Center (RISBDC) at the University of Rhode IslandSBDC website
• Economic developmentRhode Island Commerce CorporationEconomic 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.

• Division of Purchases: OSP Vendor Registration
• Division of Purchases: OSP Vendor Self-Registration Guide (rev. 02/18/2026)
• Division of Purchases: OSP FAQs
• Division of Purchases: Contract Administrative Fee Notice effective January 1, 2026
• Division of Purchases home page
• RI ERP: Finance, Procurement and Supplier Accounts/Invoices FAQ
• DEDI home page
• DEDI: MBE, WBE and VBE/SDVBE Programs
• DEDI: DBE/ACDBE Program
• Governor's Commission on Disabilities: Disability Business Enterprise
• Ocean Tech Hub
• Rhode Island Commerce: Defense
• Rhode Island APEX Accelerator
• Rhode Island SBDC (URI)
• Rhode Island Commerce home page

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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