Selling to the State of Tennessee

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

Edison Supplier Portal (Central Procurement Office, Tennessee Department of General Services)

How to register

1. 1Gather what the state's job aid lists: your Tax Identification Number (EIN, the IRS Employer Identification Number, or SSN), a current IRS Form W-9, and a Certificate of Registration or exemption from the Tennessee Department of Revenue.
2. 2Register with the Tennessee Department of Revenue for sales and use tax. The Central Procurement Office lists this as a duty of registered suppliers.
3. 3Go to edison.tn.gov, open the Supplier Portal Home Page, click Supplier or User Registration, then click Register Now.
4. 4Enter the tax ID and the legal name exactly as they appear on the W-9, then upload the W-9.
5. 5Pick your UNSPSC (United Nations Standard Products and Services Code) category codes. The state emails notices of publicly posted solicitations that match these codes.
6. 6Enter the headquarters address from the W-9 and add contacts. Each requested user ID must start with TN@.
7. 7Accept the Terms of Agreement and click Submit. A Registration ID arrives by email. The job aid says standard processing takes ten business days. GO-BID's certification page says the state then issues a permanent 10-digit Supplier ID.
8. 8When Edison says the account is created, sign in at edison.tn.gov with the TN@ user ID and the temporary password Edison emails you, then set a new password. More user accounts can be added later with the Supplier ID and tax ID.
9. 9Sign in at least every 90 days to review and update the account, as the Central Procurement Office requires. Bid opportunities can be viewed without registering, but registration is required to be awarded a contract.

• Small Business Enterprise (SBE)Governor's Office of Business Initiatives and Development (GO-BID), Central Procurement OfficeIndependent, for-profit businesses with average gross receipts of no more than $10 million over three years, or no more than 99 full-time employees. GO-BID asks small business applicants for their prior tax return and three most recent IRS Form 941 quarterly statements. GO-BID rules for all categories: the business must be independent, for-profit and in operation at least two years; the owner must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; the business must be located in Tennessee, or hold a home-state or nationally recognized certification. Register in Edison first, then apply online at tn.dbesystem.com. GO-BID says review takes 30 to 45 days.
• Service-Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (SDVBE)Governor's Office of Business Initiatives and Development (GO-BID)Businesses at least 51% owned and controlled by a veteran who served honorably on active duty and has a service-connected disability of at least 20% (at least 50% if owned only by the veteran and spouse). The owner submits DD Form 214. GO-BID rules for all categories: the business must be independent, for-profit and in operation at least two years; the owner must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; the business must be located in Tennessee, or hold a home-state or nationally recognized certification. Register in Edison first, then apply online at tn.dbesystem.com. GO-BID says review takes 30 to 45 days.
• Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)Governor's Office of Business Initiatives and Development (GO-BID)Businesses at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more minority individuals as GO-BID defines them (African American, Hispanic American, Native American, Asian American). GO-BID rules for all categories: the business must be independent, for-profit and in operation at least two years; the owner must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; the business must be located in Tennessee, or hold a home-state or nationally recognized certification. Register in Edison first, then apply online at tn.dbesystem.com. GO-BID says review takes 30 to 45 days.
• Woman Business Enterprise (WBE)Governor's Office of Business Initiatives and Development (GO-BID)Businesses at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more women who also control management and daily operations. GO-BID rules for all categories: the business must be independent, for-profit and in operation at least two years; the owner must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; the business must be located in Tennessee, or hold a home-state or nationally recognized certification. Register in Edison first, then apply online at tn.dbesystem.com. GO-BID says review takes 30 to 45 days.
• Persons with Disabilities Business Enterprise (DSBE)Governor's Office of Business Initiatives and Development (GO-BID)Businesses at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more persons with a disability as GO-BID defines it (for example, eligible for SSDI or SSI). DSBE certification is renewed every year; the other GO-BID categories every three years. GO-BID rules for all categories: the business must be independent, for-profit and in operation at least two years; the owner must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; the business must be located in Tennessee, or hold a home-state or nationally recognized certification. Register in Edison first, then apply online at tn.dbesystem.com. GO-BID says review takes 30 to 45 days.
• Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certificationTennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Civil Rights Office, Small Business Development ProgramSmall, for-profit firms at least 51% owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, for federally assisted highway and bridge work (49 CFR Part 26). Owners' personal net worth may not exceed $2.047 million, excluding the home and the stake in the firm. TDOT's page says new DBE applications are temporarily on hold, and current DBEs are being re-evaluated under the October 2025 USDOT interim final rule.

• TDOT Drone ProgramTennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), Aeronautics DivisionPromotes the safe, responsible and innovative use of drones in Tennessee, according to TDOT. The pages cover TDOT's own drone pilots, how drones are used (for example, infrastructure inspections, emergency response and surveying), and Tennessee and FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) drone rules.
• Tennessee Drone and Advanced Air Mobility SymposiumTennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), Aeronautics DivisionYearly event that brings together government leaders, industry, researchers and advocates on drones and advanced air mobility (AAM). The first was held Aug. 13-14, 2024. The 2025 event was Nov. 12-13, 2025, at the Loews Nashville Hotel at Vanderbilt Plaza, hosted by Vanderbilt University. The page lists no 2026 event yet.

• APEX AcceleratorTennessee APEX Accelerator (University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services, UT Institute for Public Service)APEX Accelerator website
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC)Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) Network, hosted by Middle Tennessee State UniversitySBDC website
• Economic developmentTennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD)Economic 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.

• Tennessee Central Procurement Office: Supplier Information
• Job aid: Registering as a Supplier with the State of Tennessee and Obtaining a Supplier ID
• Edison Supplier Portal
• GO-BID overview
• GO-BID Certification
• GO-BID certification application and directory
• TDOT Small Business Development Program (DBE)
• TDOT Drone Program
• TDOT Drone and AAM Symposium
• TDOT Drone Regulations and Compliance
• Tennessee APEX Accelerator
• UT Center for Industrial Services
• Tennessee Small Business Development Center Network
• Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
• APEX Accelerators program site (center locator)
• Federal Register: USDOT DBE/ACDBE interim final rule, effective Oct. 3, 2025
• Federal Register: USDOT DBE/ACDBE final rule, published and effective Sept. 25, 2026

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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