Government Contracting
If you’re looking to grow your business through government contracting, AAEDC is available to help businesses in Anne Arundel County discover and pursue county, state, and Federal procurement opportunities.
Through strong partnerships, we can connect you to the specific departments and actual people who manage the purchase of goods and services for all levels of government.
Anne Arundel County Procurement
The Anne Arundel County Office of Central Services’ Purchasing Division is responsible for purchasing supplies, materials, and equipment for all County Government department and agency operations, as well as procuring all contracts for construction and consultant services.
The Purchasing Division utilizes the P.O.R.T. eProcurement System, Anne Arundel County’s web-based eProcurement system, to allow vendors to do business with the County.
While the Purchasing Division strives to receive the best prices for goods and services, the County’s Procurement Compliance Team (PCT) advocates for the inclusion of small, minority-owned, women-owned, and Veteran-owned businesses, known as Certified Business Enterprises (CBE), in the procurement process. The PCT works to eliminate barriers to CBEs’ participation in County contracts through the Procurement Access & Vendor Equity (PAVE) program, which was launched in September 2024 to provide historically underrepresented businesses better access to County contracting opportunities through CBE certification support, training, resources, and outreach efforts.
City of Annapolis Procurement
The City of Annapolis Central Purchasing Office is responsible for various procurement efforts for all departments. It approves and processes purchase orders for various vendors and conducts competitive bidding to establish contracts for goods, services, and projects.
Through the Central Purchasing Office, the City works to create an environment that stimulates greater procurement participation from small, minority-owned, women owned, and Veteran-owned businesses. The City’s Office of Economic Development helps these businesses access the resources and information needed to compete for business opportunities with the City of Annapolis through outreach, partnerships, and technical assistance.
State of Maryland Procurement
The Maryland Office of State Procurement (OSP) serves as the primary procurement unit for all delegated procurements from the Board of Works except for transportation and transportation-related procurements and otherwise exempt procurements. OSP seeks to ensure that Maryland’s government procures the highest quality materials, equipment, supplies, and services of every description essential to needs.
The OSP utilizes the state’s centralized eProcurement program, eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA), to publish solicitations, and requires that all businesses register on eMMA to learn about and pursue opportunities.
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) utilizes eMMA to procure approximately $2 billion in goods, services, building construction, maintenance, and renovations annually, and requires businesses to register on eMMA to learn about and pursue opportunities as well.
Federal Government Procurement
The U.S. General Servies Administration (GSA) utilizes the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) to facilitate the procurement of over $84 billion of products, services, and solutions that enable federal agencies to efficiently accomplish their missions while saving taxpayer dollars.
SAM.gov allows businesses to register to do business with the U.S. Government, search for contract opportunities, and submit proposals.
Procurement Resource Partners
Formerly called the Maryland Procurement Assistance Center (PTAC), the Maryland APEX Accelerator assists businesses interested in obtaining government contracts through no-cost counseling, free training and outreach events on govcon issues, and an excellent bid match service via email. AAEDC regularly partners with APEX to offer and promote webinars to help government contractors in Anne Arundel County stay informed and grow their business.
The Department of Social and Economic Mobility (DoSEM) seeks to advance social and economic mobility for all Marylanders by removing barriers, investing in inclusive opportunities, and aligning state resources to support historically underserved communities and businesses. The Department integrates three existing offices:
- The Office of Minority Business Enterprises (OMBE)
- The Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs (OSMWBA)
- The Office of Social Equity
While the Office of Social Equity serves to promote economic opportunity and equity in Maryland’s adult-use cannabis market, OMBE and OSMWBA seek to connect the small business community in Maryland to greater economic opportunities and growth – including through procurement. Both Offices share resources and host various statewide training and networking events to help small, minority, women, and Veteran business owners become aware of procurement opportunities, understand Maryland’s procurement process, and learn to compete with greater confidence in the state contracting arena.
Additional Government
Contracting Resources
Find more organizations and programs to help you identify, prepare for, and compete for local, state, and Federal government contracting opportunities in our resource library. These resources bring together trusted county, regional, and state resources to help you grow your business through the procurement process.