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Information For Vendors

The following is a resource list for businesses who wish to conduct business with the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Please note that UW-Madison does not keep a vendor list or an "approved vendor list" that you can be added to. We recommend that you follow these steps to become aware of procurement opportunities available in your commodity areas.

As a state agency, the university is bound by state rules pertaining to procurement. The Department of Administration (DOA) requires state agencies to buy certain goods and services from state work centers, mandatory contracts, or prison industries (BSI). The following reference information may help you direct your sales efforts in a more focused manner.

  1. Make sure you are aware of all statewide contracts in your market sector. A list of all statewide contracts is available on the State of Wisconsin Procurement Contracts site - https://vendornet.wi.gov.
  2. Register with the state Vendornet program so you can receive automatic notice of any new procurement efforts.
    1. The Vendornet registration website is: https://doa.wi.gov/Documents/DEO/eSupplierBidderFAQs.pdf
    2. When registering you must know the various NIGP commodity codes that are applicable to the items your company can provide. 
    3. When a bid is posted for that commodity code you'll get an automatic e-mail alert that the bid has been posted and you can then bid on the item/contract.
  3. Be aware that the state has a Public Notice website for official notices. Printed newspaper notice is now optional.
  4. The UW Madison campus is very decentralized and purchases under $5000 are typically placed by people from the various campus departments as a best judgment transaction (not visible on Vendornet). Purchases of $5K-50K require three quotes (not visible on Vendornet), and $50k+ require official sealed bidding (which you would see and receive notice of via being registered for Vendornet).
  5. The on-line directory for all state agencies is available.
  6. A listing of the purchasing agents at UW-Madison Purchasing Services and their associated commodity areas is available on the web.
  7. If you qualify, consider becoming a Wisconsin certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE). There is a goal that all state agencies spend 5% of their purchases with certified MBE firms.
    1. The MBE program and certification is administered by the Dept of Administration (DOA).
    2. View some of the ways the University promotes MBE firms.
    3. If you have registered as an MBE, verify that your listing(s) are in the proper categories for buyers to logically find you.
  8. For national exposure to other state or federal agency buyers, firms that qualify can pursue Small Business Administration (SBA) registration. This is increasingly more important for the University as we receive certain federal funds that come with requirements that we spend dollars with certain small businesses (SB, SDB, WOSB, VOSB, SDVOSB, HUB Zone). Firms can register through Central Contractor Registration (CCR). You can also register with DemandStar.
  9. If your business focuses on construction or remodeling we recommend that you also monitor the WisBuild website for bid postings related to large construction projects in the state. Depending on the project type and the overall cost, many university building projects are managed entirely by the Dept of State Facilities (DSF). Please be aware that bid solicitations for these projects will not be visible on Vendornet, but rather are only posted on WisBuild.
  10. If you are already doing business with UW-Madison, you may check on the status of any insurance certificates that you have on file with Risk Management.
  11. E-mail submission of invoices:

    The UW-Madison can accept emailed PDF invoices if all of the following conditions are met:

    1. Invoices must reference a valid UW-Madison purchase order number
    2. Invoice must be sent in PDF format
    3. Only one invoice per PDF will be accepted

    There are no requirements related to file name, but UW PO number is recommended. One e-mail may contain multiple PDF files.


    Submittal Address: AP-Invoices@bussvc.wisc.edu


    Note: this address is for the sole purpose of emailing invoices; do not send any other type of correspondence to this addresss.

Additional Resources: