Selling to the State of Vermont

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

VTBuys, the State of Vermont e-procurement system (Office of Purchasing & Contracting, Department of Buildings and General Services)

How to register

1. 1Have your federal Tax ID Number and your Unique Entity ID (UEI) from SAM.gov (the federal System for Award Management) ready. The VTBuys supplier guide says full SAM registration is not required, but an active UEI is. The Vermont APEX Accelerator helps with this free of charge, the guide says.
2. 2Go to the VTBuys supplier site (vtbuys.suppliers.vermont.gov). Choose Supplier SSO, click Single-Sign On Login, then click Sign up. Enter your contact details and click Agree & Create Account.
3. 3Fill in the initial registration form: registration type (inside or outside the U.S.), legal business name and structure, tax ID, UEI, any supplier diversity status, the Vermont counties you serve, and your commodity and service codes (UNSPSC, United Nations Standard Products and Services Code).
4. 4Enter the security characters and click Register. VTBuys runs automatic checks (location and duplicate records) before approval. After this step the company is a Bidder and can respond to solicitations.
5. 5Before a contract is signed, complete Full Registration: sign in, go to General Info, then Company Profile, fill in every required tab, name one Supplier Admin, complete the electronic W-9, and upload proof of any diversity certification you selected. The ACH (direct deposit) form is optional.
6. 6Registration is free. The VTBuys FAQ says there is no fee for suppliers to register in or use VTBuys.
7. 7Each team member has their own account. Each user needs a unique email and password; the Supplier Admin can add people.
8. 8For help, call the VTBuys Support Desk at 802-828-6446 or email VTBuysCustomerSupport@vermont.gov.

• Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concession DBE (ACDBE) certificationVermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans)Small, for-profit businesses at least 51% owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, under federal law (49 CFR Part 26). Average annual gross receipts may not exceed $32.82 million over the previous three years, and each disadvantaged owner files a Personal Net Worth statement; VTrans says each owner's personal net worth may not exceed $2.047 million. The in-state application is only for businesses in Vermont; out-of-state firms use an online request after their home state re-evaluates them. VTrans says all DBE/ACDBE certifications are being re-evaluated under the October 2025 USDOT interim final rule, and it has paused goal setting and awards that include DBE/ACDBE goals.

• UAS and RC Aircraft InformationVermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), Aviation ProgramPosts the UAS (uncrewed aircraft system), drone and RC flight notification form for flights near Vermont state airports. VTrans also runs a UAS team that flies for state agencies, and links to FAA rules for commercial operators.

• APEX AcceleratorVermont APEX Accelerator (Agency of Commerce and Community Development)APEX Accelerator website
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC)Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC), hosted by Vermont State UniversitySBDC website
• Economic developmentVermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD), Department of Economic 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.

• VTBuys: Suppliers & Bidders
• VTBuys: Frequently Asked Questions
• VTBuys: Supplier Trainings
• VTBuys Learner Guide for Suppliers (SUP.001)
• VTBuys supplier sign-in and registration
• Vermont Office of Purchasing & Contracting
• VTrans DBE Center
• VTrans DBE Certification
• VTrans Aviation: UAS and RC Aircraft Information
• Vermont APEX Accelerator (ACCD)
• Vermont Small Business Development Center
• VtSBDC: About (host and cost)
• Vermont ACCD: Economic 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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