Financial Management

Doing Business with the City of Long Beach

The City of Long Beach makes its purchases under authority granted in the City Charter. The City purchases most of its materials, supplies, equipment and services through a centralized purchasing system managed by the City Purchasing Agent.

Our mission is to provide City departments with quality and cost-effective products and services at a fair, competitive price in a timely manner.

Purchases are made by competitive bidding procedures that are not subject to negotiations. Awards are made to the lowest responsible bidder meeting the bid specifications.

The City is committed to provide maximum opportunities for small, disadvantaged, minority, women and Long Beach business enterprises to compete successfully in supplying our needs for products and services. We do this by placing a high priority on outreach, conducting business workshops, and contacting businesses through trade fairs and local, minority and women business associations.

To remain abreast of the City's current bids, we recommend that you:

• Regularly visit our website at www.longbeach.gov/purchasing to obtain a current list of bids.
• Check the classified section of the Long Beach Press Telegram for formal bids over $100,000.
• Keep in contact with the buyer of your particular commodity or service.
• Register your business through the City of Long Beach Vendor Portal with PlanetBids™.

VENDOR/SUPPLIER DATABASE PlanetBids™

LONG BEACH BUYS

Long Beach Buys is one part of a larger initiative by the City of Long Beach to comprehensively evaluate and transform the City’s procurement systems to be more transparent, equitable, and efficient. To date, much of our work has focused on internal processes to improve efficiency and lay the foundation for larger goals, including redesigning the request for proposals document/template, developing live and self-paced procurement training modules for City staff, and facilitating the forecasting of upcoming City procurement needs. Our new procurement software system will promote our larger goals by making more procurement data accessible to the public, supporting vendors in understanding the current status of opportunities, providing a searchable database of vendors that will allow City staff to more effectively source smaller opportunities, and allowing the City to focus on engaging and improving access for local, diverse, and disadvantaged businesses.

The next phase of our initiative will focus specifically on building stronger connections to local, diverse, and disadvantaged businesses by continuing to lower barriers for vendors to do business with the City, expanding vendor outreach, and building vendor capacity for doing business with the City.

For more information, please contact Long Beach Purchasing Division at LBPurchasing@longbeach.gov or (562) 570-6200.

Resources and Guides for Long Beach Buys:

Disclaimer for Use of Long Beach Buys

English
Long Beach Buys Registration Guide - English
Long Beach Buys - Vendor User Profile Maintenance Guide - English

Spanish
Long Beach Buys Registration Guide - Spanish
Long Beach Buys - Vendor User Profile Maintenance Guide - Spanish

Khmer
Long Beach Buys Registration Guide - Khmer
Long Beach Buys - Vendor User Profile Maintenance Guide - Khmer

Tagalog
Long Beach Buys Registration Guide - Tagalog
Long Beach Buys - Vendor User Profile Maintenance Guide - Tagalog

LOCAL PREFERENCE PROGRAM

A local preference of 10% will be applied to Long Beach businesses on bids for materials, supplies, equipment or non-professional services.

The local preference applies to purchases up to $100,000. Only businesses that have a current, valid business license from the City showing a place of business within the City and have a Seller's Permit issued by the State Board of Equalization where the permit lists a Long Beach address are eligible for this program.

This program is part of the City's ongoing commitment to support our local business community.

BUSINESS LICENSE

All vendors doing business with the City of Long Beach are required to have a business license in Long Beach. 

Link to Business License.

PURCHASING DIVISION

Visit our website at www.longbeach.gov/purchasing to acquaint yourself with the City's purchasing procedures, policies and personnel.

Business Services Manager: Tara Mortensen
City Purchasing Agent: Michelle Wilson
Buyers: Carrie Sinohui,Michelle King, Tommy Ryan, James Vazquez, Christina Sarmiento, Elisa Landeros
Assistant Administrative Analyst: 
Support Staff: Artrenity Borden

Purchasing Division
Business Services Bureau
Department of Financial Management 
411 W Ocean Boulevard
Long Beach CA 90802
Phone: (562) 570-6200