How to Register on NYC PASSPort: Contractor Guide (2026)

What PASSPort is

The Procurement and Sourcing Solutions Portal (PASSPort) is New York City's end-to-end procurement platform. MOCS's About PASSPort page says it launched in 2017 and covers every stage of contracting, from vendor enrollment and solicitations (called RFx) to contract awards, contract registration, contract management, and payments. NYC DOT's Doing Business page notes that MOCS developed and maintains PASSPort, and MOCS's Complete the PASSPort Vendor Enrollment guide (updated May 13, 2025) states that all contracting activities with the City of New York take place in PASSPort.

City agencies that buy construction use it. The Department of Design and Construction (DDC) states on its Construction Contracts page that all of its construction solicitations are released via PASSPort. The Department of Transportation (DOT) says on its Doing Business page that every step of the procurement process is managed on PASSPort. A 2026 Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) bid notice posted on the City Record Online tells bidders to submit their bids electronically in PASSPort.

Two public tools work without an account. MOCS's About PASSPort page says anyone can browse public contract opportunities in the Procurement Navigator, and anyone can view contract, vendor, or solicitation data in PASSPort Public, which launched in 2022. MOCS describes PASSPort Public as a data transparency portal where you can explore vendors, solicitations, and contracts and view key statistics. To respond to a solicitation, you need a PASSPort account.

Not every public owner in the five boroughs bids through PASSPort. The School Construction Authority (SCA) prequalifies firms through its own Vendor Access System, and NYCHA's Doing Business page sends vendors to its iSupplier system to search procurement opportunities while still requiring PASSPort registration. Both are covered in the construction section below. For a wider map of bid sources, see our guide to finding government construction bids.

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Step 1 - Create a PIP account before you start

Set up a Payee Information Portal (PIP) vendor account first. MOCS's Create a PASSPort Account guide (updated February 7, 2025) says to create a PIP account before setting up your organization's PASSPort account, because a PIP vendor account is needed to receive payments from the City. MOCS's PIP page adds that PIP is where vendors submit an electronically signed W-9, that vendors cannot get paid without it, and that creating PIP first helps data transfer accurately between PIP and PASSPort after an award. Commodity enrollment is no longer in PIP; it now happens in PASSPort.

MOCS's Contracting Roadmap lists two basics to have in place first: an EIN or TIN from the IRS and registration with the New York State Department of State. For PIP questions, MOCS lists the PIP Help Desk at pip@fisa-opa.nyc.gov.

Step 2 - Register a NYC.ID with a company email address

Go to nyc.gov/passport and click Register NYC.ID. MOCS's About PASSPort page calls this the first step toward creating a PASSPort account, and the Create a PASSPort Account guide explains that NYC.ID is a secure sign-in for online services at multiple NYC agency websites, including PASSPort. Do not confuse NYC.ID with IDNYC.

The guide says the email address you enter becomes your PASSPort login and receives notifications. Your password must be at least 8 characters, with at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number, and one special character from &, *, #, !, @, or %. Confirm your address from the email sent by noreply@nyc.gov within 24 hours. If you already use a City system such as the City Record Online, the PASSPort FAQ says you may already have a NYC.ID, and an "email is already in use" message means you should log in instead. Use a company mailbox that someone on the estimating team checks every day.

Step 3 - Request a vendor PASSPort account or join your company's

Log in to PASSPort with your NYC.ID and click Create Account to open the Account Request form. The Create a PASSPort Account guide lists Legal Business Name, which must match your Certificate of Incorporation, along with Corporate Structure, EIN or SSN, a 10-digit phone number, and your business address. The form also asks for the name, phone, and email of your CEO or equivalent, plus a security code. Click the green Register button to send the request to MOCS.

MOCS says requests are processed in approximately 1 to 2 business days, and an email tells you whether the request was approved or why it was denied. The person who submits the request automatically becomes the Vendor Admin, with full administrator privileges and all PASSPort email notifications, so choose that person on purpose. The Contracting Roadmap recommends having more than one Vendor Admin.

Check first whether your company already has an account. The PASSPort FAQ (last updated October 18, 2024) says an entity cannot be registered twice: a request using an EIN already in PASSPort is rejected, and the existing Vendor Admin must add you as a contact. If that Vendor Admin has left, the FAQ says to contact the MOCS Service Desk with a letter on company letterhead. The letter gives the legal name and EIN, names the departed admin and the new one, and is signed by someone else from HR or an executive.

Step 4 - Add contacts and assign user roles

Add everyone who needs access as a contact, then give each person at least one role. MOCS's Contacts Tab guide (updated May 12, 2025) says a Vendor Admin adds contacts under Profile, Vendor Profile, Contacts, and that a contact cannot log in until they register a NYC.ID with the same email address. Contacts are not notified automatically, so tell each new user to create a NYC.ID.

Three roles matter for enrollment:

• Vendor Admin: full account and enrollment access except signing the package. MOCS recommends at least two contacts with this role.
• Signatory: the only role that can sign the Vendor Enrollment Package.
• Contributor: can enter information, with limited functionality.

For bidding, the PASSPort FAQ says contacts receive RFx email notices only if they hold the Vendor Admin, Procurement L1, or Procurement L2 role, so give one of those roles to your estimators. List every principal owner and officer as a contact too, because each one must complete a Principal Questionnaire in Step 5.

Step 5 - Complete the four tabs of the Vendor Enrollment Package

Open Profile, then Vendor Profile, and complete the Basic Information, Contacts, Disclosures, and Documentation tabs. MOCS's Complete the PASSPort Vendor Enrollment guide (updated May 13, 2025) describes the package as a series of business questions and disclosures, marks required fields with a red asterisk, and flags blocking alerts with red icons. It says vendors take an average of 3 to 5 days to finish.

MOCS's tab guides (updated May 12, 2025) describe what each tab asks for:

• Basic Information: annual gross revenue, business category, the date, country, state, and county in which the business was formed, corporate structure, your business address, and your primary place of business in the NYC metropolitan area, or your executive office address if you have none there.
• Contacts: your team and their roles, as in Step 4.
• Disclosures: all eight sections of the Vendor Questionnaire; each Principal Owner and Officer, who must complete their own six-section Principal Questionnaire; and any parent or controlling entities. A Yes answer needs added rows of detail and a supporting attachment. A parent owns more than 50% of the vendor's voting stock, and a controlling entity holds 10% or more of the business or can direct its daily operations. Each must have its own PASSPort account and be Filed before your enrollment counts as complete.
• Documentation: your Certificate of Incorporation or an equivalent, such as Articles of Incorporation, uploaded under the Miscellaneous / Certificate of Incorporation document type. A submitted document cannot be deleted.

This questionnaire filing is what replaced VENDEX. The Procurement Policy Board (PPB) rule amendment adopted August 20, 2025 replaced the references to "VENDEX," which it calls the City's prior procurement platform, with "PASSPort" in PPB Rule 2-08. NYCHA's Doing Business page says PASSPort has replaced the paper VENDEX and Certificate of No Change forms.

Step 6 - Check progress, sign, and submit to become Filed

When every tab is done, a Vendor Admin clicks Check Progress, and a Signatory signs and submits the package. MOCS's Sign the Vendor Enrollment Package guide (updated May 12, 2025) says Check Progress moves the status from Draft to Ready to Submit, after which changes can no longer be made unless you click Return to Preparation Package. The Signatory then opens the Signature tab, clicks Add Signature, reads the PASSPort Questionnaire Certification, checks I certify all of above, enters their NYC.ID password, and clicks Sign. Only one signature is required.

Signing is not submitting. MOCS's Submit the Vendor Enrollment Package guide says to confirm that the e-signature appears in the Vendor Enrollment Signature table and then click Submit Package. The status may show In Review while MOCS reviews the submission, or Pending Parent/Controlling Entity if a parent or controlling entity has not filed. When it reads Filed, an email confirms it. MOCS notes that Filed status does not guarantee a contract.

Filed status matters before award, not before bidding. The PASSPort FAQ states that completing vendor enrollment is not needed to respond to an RFx, while the Contracting Roadmap says City agencies can initiate a contracting action with a vendor in PASSPort only after the vendor is Filed. Start the package before you chase your first bid.

Step 7 - Enroll in commodity codes with justification documents

Enroll in the commodity codes for work your firm does now or can do. MOCS's Enroll in Commodities guide (updated February 27, 2025) explains that NYC commodity codes have 1, 2, 3, or 5 digits, that the 5-digit codes align with NIGP (National Institute of Governmental Purchasing) classifications, and that vendors enroll at the 3-digit Level 3 category. Search the NYC Commodity Classification Directory, an Excel file linked from that guide, for your scope words, and note both the 5-digit code and the 3-digit code it rolls up to. MOCS's own example for a plumbing contractor that also cleans up large construction sites is 90975, Site Clean-up, Post-Construction.

To add codes, click the Commodity Enrollment shortcut on the PASSPort homepage, choose Commodity Enrollment under Add Documents in the Documentation tab, search for your 3-digit code, remove any 5-digit codes that do not fit, and save. Then upload justification documentation and click Submit. Acceptable documents include an invoice, license, contract, statement of work, capability statement, or certification showing your legal name and a date. Invoices require company letterhead, and one document can support several codes.

Codes affect who sees you. MOCS says commodity enrollment makes your business visible to the right buyers, and that M/WBE-restricted opportunities are released to businesses based on their commodity codes. It also warns that enrolling in unrelated commodities may affect your organization's credibility, and recommends reviewing your codes at least once a year.

Step 8 - Get M/WBE certified with SBS if you qualify

If your firm is minority- or women-owned, apply for City certification with the Department of Small Business Services (SBS). SBS's Certify with the City page lists the Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE), Emerging Business Enterprise (EBE), and Locally-based Business Enterprise (LBE) programs. The NYC Business M/WBE certification page says your business must have sold goods or services for at least one year, must be at least 51 percent owned, operated, and controlled by U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are women or members of designated minority groups, and must have its main office in the five boroughs or a listed nearby county; nonprofits are not eligible. You apply through SBS Connect, certification lasts five years from the confirmation letter, and a confirmation form is due each year. The page lists the application and renewal fees as Free. Firms already certified by partners such as the New York City School Construction Authority can use the M/WBE or LBE FastTrack application.

In PASSPort, self-declare your certifications in the Vendor M/WBE Certifications section of the Basic Information tab. MOCS's Self-Declare Certifications guide (updated April 22, 2025) says this does not replace SBS certification and that SBS will contact you with next steps. DDC's Work with DDC page adds that DDC does not have its own M/WBE certification. Certified firms can compete for M/WBE Small Purchases: MOCS's M/WBE program page says agencies can award contracts of up to $1,500,000 for goods, services, and construction directly to City-certified M/WBEs without formal competition.

Step 9 - Keep your filing current

A Filed enrollment is valid for three years, so keep it current. The PASSPort FAQ says a filed submission is valid for three years from the Vendor Enrollment Signature validation date, and that a Certificate of No Change (CNC), triggered by the agency, is required with every contract award. PPB Rule 2-08(e)(2), as amended in 2025, requires each contractor to file a PASSPort questionnaire at least once every three calendar years, to update it when information changes, and to certify at each award that its most recent filing is current, accurate, and complete. No contract may be awarded to a contractor that fails to make that certification.

Use a Change Request to update disclosures after you are Filed. MOCS recommends reviewing your enrollment at least once a year and keeping your parent or controlling entities informed of changes, since they may need to update their own disclosures. Update contacts whenever an estimator, project manager, or principal leaves, and MOCS's PIP page asks vendors to keep contact information current in both PIP and PASSPort.

PASSPort fees: registration vs. the administrative fee

The MOCS pages reviewed for this guide do not list a fee to register a NYC.ID, request a vendor account, or file the enrollment package.

City rules do allow a fee later in the process. PPB Rule 2-08(f)(2), as amended by the PPB on August 20, 2025, covers contracts and subcontracts subject to the Department of Investigation's Vendor Name Check. On those, the City Chief Procurement Officer (CCPO) may charge a fee for administering PASSPort, including the name check:

• $175 for contracts with an estimated value of $1,000,000 or less.
• $350 for contracts with an estimated value over $1,000,000.

The rule says the fee is charged against payments made to the vendor on that contract and does not delay award. A prime vendor pays the fee for its subcontractors' name checks but may recover it from them, and the CCPO may waive the fee in the City's best interest. Bid documents can carry their own charge: PPB Rule 3-02(e) requires a notice of an Invitation for Bids' availability to state any fee or deposit for obtaining it. SBS lists M/WBE certification as free. Rules can change, so check the PPB page before you price a bid.

NYC construction bids: DDC, DOT, and the rules that come with them

DDC. DDC's Construction Contracts page says it awards most construction contracts through an open competitive sealed bid process, and also uses pre-qualified lists (PQLs) and job order contracting. It states that all construction solicitations are released via PASSPort, where vendors can download bid documents and respond, and that DDC holds live bid openings on YouTube and publishes preliminary bid results. DDC's New and Upcoming page (updated April 2026) says all of its procurements are conducted via PASSPort, and its Work with DDC page says DDC's design and construction management RFPs are published in the City Record and PASSPort. The State granted DDC design-build authority in 2019 and CM-build authority, for some types of work, in 2024.

DDC pre-qualified lists. DDC maintains PQLs for General Construction Small Projects (M/WBE contractors only), Medium Projects, and Large Projects; Landmarked and Landmark-Quality Buildings; SBS Modified Bitumen Roofing; Cold Fluid Applied Reinforced Membrane Roofing; and Emergency Sewer and Emergency Water work. Only contractors who prequalify through a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) are invited to bid on those projects. DDC's RFQ/PQL page says you must be enrolled in PASSPort first, then find the list in PASSPort while logged in and apply there. To see who is already approved, open Browse Public RFx, click Prequalified Lists, choose the list, and click the number next to Approved Vendors. PPB Rule 3-10(e) requires agencies to invite PQL applications in the City Record at least once a year and, for construction lists, in a New York City newspaper of general circulation as well. Under PPB Rule 2-08(e)(2), a vendor that has not filed a PASSPort questionnaire within three years must file one when it applies for a prequalified list.

Requirements that come with City construction bids:

• NYSDOL registration. DDC and DOT both state that, effective December 30, 2024, all bids and proposals for construction projects must include a copy of the bidder's certificate of registration with the New York State Department of Labor, a requirement that stems from Section 220-i of the Labor Law.
• Apprenticeship. MOCS's Apprenticeship Requirements page says its directive, issued May 21, 2015, requires apprenticeship agreements with programs registered with and approved by the New York State Department of Labor. It covers construction and construction-related maintenance contracts over $3 million that use apprenticeable trade classifications, individual contracts over $2 million on projects worth more than $5 million, and subcontracts over $2 million under a covered prime contract.
• Project labor agreements. MOCS lists a 2025 New Construction and Renovation PLA that covers select new construction and certain renovation work let by agencies including DDC, DOT, DEP, Parks, Sanitation, and DCAS. Its Notice to Bidders says the winning bidder must sign a Letter of Assent before award, and that agreeing to work under the PLA satisfies the bid's apprenticeship requirements.
• Bid security. PPB Rule 2-07(c)(6) limits acceptable bid, performance, and payment security to a one-time bond in a form satisfactory to the City, a bank certified check or money order, City bonds, or other instruments set by the Office of Construction with the Comptroller. DCAS's Agency Procurement FAQ says bid security and payment and performance bonds are generally required for construction bids over $500,000, with exceptions, and that Attachment 1 or Attachment A of the bid booklet states the requirement.
• Sealed subcontractor list. Where separate specifications are not required for plumbing and gas fitting, HVAC, and electrical work, PPB Rule 3-02(b)(2)(xx)(J) requires a separate sealed list naming each subcontractor for that work and the amount to be paid. The low bidder's list is opened after the low bid is announced.
• Subcontractor filings. PPB Rule 2-08(e)(2)(iii) applies to a subcontractor that has not filed within three years and whose City contracts, franchises, and concessions from the prior 12 months, including this one, total $250,000 or more. It must file a PASSPort questionnaire within 30 days after the agency grants preliminary approval.

DOT. NYC DOT's Doing Business page says organizations need two vendor accounts to do business with the City: PIP to get paid and PASSPort for all other contracting actions. It says every step of the procurement process is managed on PASSPort, and that all documents needed to submit a bid can be obtained at NYC DOT, 55 Water Street, Ground Floor. For help, it points to the MOCS Service Desk for PASSPort technical issues and to the soliciting agency, through the RFx's email address or Discussion Forum, for questions about a solicitation. The page also states that all City procurements, including DOT's capital construction projects, are advertised in the City Record, and that contractors bidding on federally funded DOT projects are required to use DBEs.

School Construction Authority. The SCA runs its own process. The NYC Comptroller's January 17, 2018 audit report (FM17-064A) describes the SCA as a public benefit corporation established in 1988 by the New York State Legislature under the Public Authorities Law. The SCA's Getting Started page says it awards contracts to prequalified firms, except vendor contracts under $10,000, and its Prequalification Process page directs firms to an online application in its Vendor Access System. Prime contractors must be qualified at the time of bid opening, qualification lasts three years, and the SCA's review includes experience (at least two years in business), safety record, financial capability, and enrollment in New York State DOL-approved apprenticeship programs for the trades you seek. The SCA's FAQs list registration with the New York State Division of Corporations as a New York entity among the prequalification requirements.

The SCA's Construction Process page says Advertised Bids, typically for jobs estimated at $1 million to $4 million, are noticed in the City Record, trade publications, and on the SCA's website. Limited List Bids, typically for projects over $4 million and for Capacity and Mentor projects, are open only to invited prequalified contractors. Bid documents are downloaded from the SCA's Bid Set Website, and a winning prime must show a good-faith effort to subcontract 10 percent of the work to certified LBEs and 20 percent to certified M/WBEs. The SCA pages reviewed for this guide do not mention PASSPort. For help, call the SCA Prequalification Hotline at (718) 472-8777 or email prequalification@nycsca.org, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

NYCHA. NYCHA's Doing Business page sends vendors to its iSupplier system to register and search NYCHA procurement opportunities, and to the City Record for bidding opportunities. It also says vendors are required to log in and register in PASSPort, and that NYCHA's iSupplier and eComply systems now require a NYC.ID.

How to find and submit a bid in PASSPort

Start with the Procurement Navigator at nyc.gov/businessopportunities. The PASSPort FAQ describes it as a public list of RFx in the Planned, Released, Responses Received, Selections Made, and Closed stages, searchable by status, keyword, industry, agency, published date, or commodity, with an option to show only RFx allowing subcontractors. RFx is PASSPort's term for City solicitations, including Invitations to Bid. Note each opportunity's EPIN, the identifier used for RFx and contracts.

Not every RFx is public. The FAQ says not all RFx are published to the Procurement Navigator and some are invitation-only or based on eligibility for a prequalification list, so it encourages vendors to search directly in PASSPort. Once logged in, use RFx, Browse Public RFx, check RFx, Browse My RFx Responses for invitations, and watch for the PASSPort Weekly Digest of new RFx releases. MOCS's Find Contract Opportunities guide (updated April 3, 2025) says the digest goes to users with the Vendor Admin, Procurement L1, or Procurement L2 role.

Watch the City Record too. The same guide says City business opportunities valued at or above $100,000 are published in the City Record Online (CROL), where you can sign up for email notifications. CROL's site says the City Record is the official paper of the City of New York, published each weekday except legal holidays. PPB Rule 3-02(e) requires the notice for a competitive sealed bid above the small purchase limits to appear at least once in the City Record and on the City's website at least 15 days before bid opening, unless bidders are solicited from a PQL. Emailed notices to vendors on the citywide bidders list must go out at least 15 days before bids are due, or 22 days for bids subject to the M/WBE program.

MOCS's Respond to RFx guide (updated April 8, 2025) sets out the response flow for users with the Vendor Admin, Procurement L1, or Procurement L2 role:

1. Open the RFx and click Participate in RFx. If acknowledgment is required, a Vendor Admin clicks I acknowledge receipt of this RFx, checks WILL RESPOND, and clicks Valid.
2. Add colleagues on the Setup Team tab, because only listed users can work on the response.
3. Open the draft under Manage Responses, select a competition pool, and complete the Questionnaire, Documents, Item, LL34 Compliance, and Subcontractors and Joint Ventures tabs. The Item tab can be filled in online, or downloaded, completed, and uploaded in Excel.
4. Click Validate & Submit, check the sign-off box, and click Submit my proposal. Then confirm that the Manage Responses tab shows the status Submitted.

Submit early. The guide recommends submitting at least 48 hours before the due date, and the FAQ says at least two business days, because agencies can stop accepting responses at any time on the due date. A submitted response cannot be modified, but while the RFx is still Released you can duplicate it, submit the corrected copy, and withdraw the original. Once the RFx moves to Responses Received, you cannot revise or retract it.

How you deliver a bid depends on the solicitation. The PPB's electronic bidding amendment, effective January 1, 2025, permits electronic bidding for all contracts as authorized by Section 103 of the General Municipal Law, including opening bids electronically via livestream. A DEP postponement notice for contract OH-88, dated March 6, 2026 and posted on CROL, shows one agency's approach. It says paper bid submissions are not acceptable and bids go in electronically through PASSPort. A bid bond is included with the electronic bid, while a certified check is delivered to DEP's office. PPB Rule 3-02(b) requires every Invitation for Bids to state its requirements for electronic submission, if any, and where bids are to be submitted. Follow the instructions in each bid package exactly.

Track addenda and questions in PASSPort. The FAQ says agencies issue addenda directly in PASSPort, in the Documents section of the View RFx tab, and email vendors when one is issued, so make sure your estimators hold a role that receives RFx notices. PPB Rule 3-02(i) makes acknowledging all amendments a condition for considering your bid, and Rule 3-02(k) says a bid received after the time set for receipt is late and will not be considered. Ask content questions through the RFx's Discussion with Buyer tab, and send PASSPort system problems to the MOCS Service Desk, not the agency.

Bidding outside New York City? Compare PASSPort with our guides to eVA in Virginia, NC eVP, COMMBUYS in Massachusetts, OhioBuys, and Bid Express. For federal work, see our SAM.gov registration guide, and our portal registration guides index lists every portal we cover.

How ConstructionBids.ai helps

ConstructionBids.ai brings public construction bids from thousands of portals into one searchable feed with deadline alerts, which can sit alongside your PASSPort routine. Registering a NYC.ID, getting Filed, keeping your commodity codes and disclosures current, and responding the way each solicitation requires are still on you; we don't replace any of them.

Because the School Construction Authority bids through its own systems and NYCHA posts opportunities in iSupplier, expect to watch other sources for some school and public housing work in the five boroughs. One feed filtered to your trades and region cuts the time spent checking them by hand.

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