Working With The City of Winston-Salem

Current Bids, future Bids, & More!

View current Bid Opportunities with the City.

Beginning September 3, 2018, all Minority and Women-owned firms must be certified with the State of North Carolina Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) Office at the time the proposal and/or bid is submitted. The State’s HUB office is the certifying agency for the entire state. 

4 Steps Process to Certification

1. Complete the SWUC Application
2. Gather required documents based on your business structure

3. Complete an online HUB Certification Request by clicking https://vendor.ncgov.com/vendor/login. Then click “Vendor Not Registered? Register now”

4. Mail your completed package to the State HUB Office

Please contact a M/WBE staff member to receive assistance with completing the

Application for Statewide Uniform Certification (SWUC).

Bidding Process

All projects are open for public bid and bid information is available to the public. Plans and project specifications can be reviewed in the City/County Purchasing Department. 

Invitation To Bid or Request for Bid (ITB or RFB)

•Indicates that a sealed formal bid procedure is being used

•Detailed specifications are available

•Evaluated for compliance to bid specifications

Contracts shall be awarded to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder taking into consideration quality, performance, and time specified for informal and formal projects.

Construction & Repair

According to the M/WBE program regulations, general contractors bidding on formal-range projects are responsible for soliciting M/WBEs for participation. Successful bidders will be expected to provide minority participation not less than the project specific goals determined by city staff. Bidders must utilize their best efforts to meet participation goals through the award of subcontracts to minority and women business enterprises.

Pre-bid conferences provide opportunities for M/WBE’s subcontractors to learn about upcoming projects and to meet general contractors interested in bidding on these projects. If a M/WBE was unable to attend the pre-bid conference, please contact M/WBE Staff to obtain a list of general contractors that attended the pre-bid conferences.

Professional, General, and Other Services

It is the policy of the City of Winston-Salem and/or the City/County Utility Commission (an agency of the City of Winston-Salem), that minority and women-owned business enterprises shall have an equal opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts financed in whole or in part with City and/or Commission funds. A minimum 10% goal for participation by minority and women-owned businesses has been established for this service. A proposer may meet this goal through the participation of M/WBE sub-consultants, through his/her own performance on the project if the proposer is a certified minority/woman-owned firm, or through demonstrating a good faith effort to meet the M/WBE participation goal.

Requests for Qualifications (RFQ) & Requests for Proposals (RFP)

Request for Proposal

• Proposals from vendors for products and services that cannot be evaluated by cost alone
• Evaluated according to predetermined weighted standards (criteria- i.e. points) stated in RFP
• Awarded to best overall proposal

Request for Qualification

• Proposals from vendors for products and services where a fee is negotiated with the best qualified firm
• Evaluated according to predetermined weighted standards (criteria- i.e. points) stated in RFQ