How to register, certify, and compete in the Empire State's procurement market — including the nation-leading 30% MWBE goal.
Last reviewed on May 12, 2026 by the Government.biz editorial team. Verify program details with NYS OGS, OSC, and Empire State Development.
New York State runs a large, centralized procurement system with some of the most aggressive diversity participation goals in the country. The 30% Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) goal under Article 15-A and the 6% Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) goal mean agencies are under real pressure to find and use certified firms — directly and as subcontractors. For a certified small business, New York is one of the most accessible state markets in the U.S.
New York is also a layered market: beyond the state agencies, the public authorities (MTA, Port Authority, Thruway, Dormitory Authority), the SUNY and CUNY systems, and New York City's enormous independent procurement operation together dwarf the state-agency spend covered here.
Register as a vendor in SFS to receive your New York State Vendor ID. Agencies use it to issue purchase orders and pay invoices. This is your foundational registration.
The state's official advertising venue for contracting opportunities. Solicitations above the statutory threshold must be published here, so it's where you watch for bids in your categories.
The Office of General Services negotiates centralized contracts that agencies (and often local governments) buy from. Getting onto an OGS centralized contract is a high-leverage way to be purchased from repeatedly.
The MWBE program is New York's signature small-business vehicle. Certification is handled by Empire State Development (ESD), and certified firms appear in the searchable NYS Directory of Certified Businesses. Core requirements:
The 30% goal applies to the MWBE-eligible portion of a contract, and agencies set contract-specific goals that primes must meet through MWBE subcontracting. That makes a certified MWBE attractive both as a prime and as a subcontractor that helps a larger firm hit its goal.
New York's Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) program is administered by the OGS Division of Service-Disabled Veterans' Business Development and supports a 6% participation goal. To certify, the business must be at least 51% owned and controlled by a service-disabled veteran who is generally a New York State resident, and it must be a small business that performs a commercially useful function.
One of the most useful tools for certified firms is discretionary purchasing. Under New York's procurement law, agencies can buy directly from certified MWBE and SDVOB businesses up to a statutory dollar threshold without running a full competitive solicitation. This dramatically shortens the path to a first state contract and lets agencies meet their participation goals quickly. Because the legislature periodically raises the threshold, confirm the current figure before you rely on a specific number — then make sure the agencies you target know you're certified and ready.
New York's largest state buyers include transportation, health, education, and the corrections and human-services agencies. But the biggest opportunities for many vendors sit in the public authorities and New York City:
Register as a vendor in the Statewide Financial System (SFS) to get a NYS Vendor ID for purchase orders and payments. Separately, monitor the NYS Contract Reporter, where solicitations above the statutory threshold are advertised.
A 30% Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprise participation goal under Article 15-A — among the highest in the nation. Firms certify through Empire State Development and appear in the NYS Directory of Certified Businesses.
The state's Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business program, run by OGS, supports a 6% goal. It's a state certification separate from the federal SDVOSB program, and the disabled-veteran owners must generally be New York residents.
Yes — agencies can buy directly from certified MWBE and SDVOB firms up to a statutory threshold without a formal competition. The threshold is adjusted periodically, so verify the current amount.
No. NYC procures independently through its PASSPort system and has its own M/WBE certification. Treat the city as a separate market with its own registration and certification.
Authoritative sources: NYS Contract Reporter, NYS OGS Procurement Services, and Empire State Development MWBE. This page is general information, not legal advice.