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Selling to the State of South Carolina

Purchasing portal, certifications and where to get help

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

Purchasing portal

SCEIS Vendor Registration Portal (State Fiscal Accountability Authority, Division of Procurement Services); moving to SCPro in November 2026

How to register

  1. Check the timing first. The Division of Procurement Services says the new SCPro system's Release One, which covers supplier registration, goes live in November 2026. During the migration freeze, October 27 to November 9, 2026, no new suppliers can be added and no supplier records can be changed; agencies may still accept paper bids from unregistered suppliers on open solicitations. After go-live, new registrations and changes are made in SCPro.
  2. Search the SC Vendor Search to see if your company is already registered: type the first word of the company name followed by an asterisk (*).
  3. Start a brand-new registration at the SCEIS (South Carolina Enterprise Information System) Vendor Registration Portal (New Vendor Registration link on the Vendor Registration page).
  4. Step 1, Identification: enter the legal name as shown on federal tax forms and your tax ID.
  5. Step 2, Company Contact: enter the primary contact and a user name. The user name is used to maintain your profile and for online bidding. The Division says the password needs at least 8 characters, six of them letters with at least one upper case and one lower case letter, plus at least one number and one special character; the first three characters cannot be the same, and the password cannot match the user name.
  6. Steps 3 to 6: fill in the communication profile, mailing address (mark it Order from and/or Remit to), any alternate address, and an emergency contact if you want to be a source of supply in emergencies.
  7. Step 7, Company as a Procurement Source: choose the commodity codes for the goods, services or information technology you sell. The state emails you SCEIS solicitations that match these codes.
  8. Steps 8 and 9: add up to three more contacts and submit. The system confirms it received your registration.
  9. Wait for approval. The Division says processing can take up to 30 days; do not submit duplicate registrations. The approval email lets you sign in with your user name and temporary password; change the password. Your unique vendor number goes on every bid or proposal.
  10. Optional: enroll in the State Treasurer's ACH direct deposit through the vendor portal's Enroll in ACH Payments link.
  11. Find bids in South Carolina Business Opportunities (SCBO) at scbo.sc.gov. The Division calls SCBO the only definitive listing of competitive procurements above the three-quote thresholds. Construction solicitations are advertised in SCBO but are not processed in SCEIS. Help with online bidding: SCEIS Help Desk 803-896-0001. Main office: 803-737-0600.

State certifications

  • Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certificationDivision of Small and Minority Business Contracting and Certification (SMBCC), South Carolina Commission for Community Advancement and Engagement (formerly the Commission for Minority Affairs)South Carolina small businesses at least 51% owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged U.S. citizens. The business must have operated for at least one year and meet the SBA size standard for its NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) code, and the disadvantaged owner's personal net worth cannot exceed $1.32 million. SMBCC interviews the owner and visits the business. Certification lasts five years. SMBCC says no loans, grants or promised contract awards come with certification.
  • Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certificationSouth Carolina Unified Certification Program (SCUCP), administered by the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT)Businesses seeking USDOT-funded transportation work. SCDOT says it is re-evaluating DBEs certified before the October 3, 2025 Interim Final Rule, and new DBE applications will be accepted only after that re-evaluation and after USDOT updates the Uniform Certification Application. SMBCC says SC-based firms certified by SCDOT with personal net worth under $1.32 million are accepted into SMBCC without a separate process.
  • Small Business Enterprise (SBE) certificationSouth Carolina Department of TransportationSCDOT says the SBE Program gives certified small businesses a way to expand their opportunities to do business in South Carolina. Review can take up to 90 days, and certifications must be updated annually.

Where to get help in South Carolina

  • APEX AcceleratorSouth Carolina APEX AcceleratorAPEX Accelerator website
  • Small Business Development Center (SBDC)South Carolina Small Business Development Centers (SC SBDC), address listed at the University of South Carolina Moore School of Business, ColumbiaSBDC website
  • Economic developmentSouth Carolina Department of CommerceEconomic 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.