PROCUREMENT SOFTWARE BUILT FOR PUBLIC UTILITIES

PlanetBids procurement software supports public utilities, including city-owned utilities, joint powers authorities, and public-private partnerships, in modernizing their procurement operations. Whether managing construction, maintenance, equipment sourcing, or consultant contracts, PlanetBids brings structure, visibility, and compliance to every step of the process.

Trusted by public sector organizations across the country, PlanetBids helps power and gas utilities reduce administrative burden, ensure transparency, and support defensible procurement aligned with public expectations.

HOW WE HELP

PlanetBids centralizes procurement workflows into one platform so utilities can reduce delays, improve documentation, and support public accountability across capital and organizational purchasing.

With PlanetBids, public agencies can:

  • Plan and publish solicitations aligned with regulatory and governance requirements.

  • Engage vendors with accessible and secure digital submission processes

  • Evaluate bids collaboratively with full audit trails and scoring transparency

  • Award and document contracts efficiently across capital, maintenance, and emergency projects.

HOW WE HELP

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workers and yellow excavator

PlanetBids centralizes procurement workflows into one platform so utilities can reduce delays, improve documentation, and support public accountability across capital and organizational purchasing.

With PlanetBids, public agencies can:

  • Plan and publish solicitations aligned with regulatory and governance requirements.

  • Engage vendors with accessible and secure digital submission processes

  • Evaluate bids collaboratively with full audit trails and scoring transparency

  • Award and document contracts efficiently across capital, maintenance, and emergency projects.

HOW WE'RE DIFFERENT

PlanetBids is built for public sector procurement, with functionality to support compliance-heavy environments and collaborative stakeholder involvement.

Unlike general bidding platforms focused on posting or vendor tracking, PlanetBids helps public utilities management procurement from planning through award, supporting transparency, speed, and accountability for ratepayer-funded projects.

HOW WE'RE DIFFERENT

Bid Spec Library - Classifications
Bid Spec Library - Classifications

PlanetBids is built for public sector procurement, with functionality to support compliance-heavy environments and collaborative stakeholder involvement.

Unlike general bidding platforms focused on posting or vendor tracking, PlanetBids helps public utilities management procurement from planning through award, supporting transparency, speed, and accountability for ratepayer-funded projects.

HOW PLANETBIDS COMPARES TO OTHER PROCUREMENT PLATFORMS

Many procurement tools only support one stage of the process, like vendor management or solicitation posting. That forces utilities to bridge gaps manually or through risky workarounds.

PlanetBids supports the full procurement lifecycle:

  • Manage planning, bids, submissions, evaluations, and awards in one secure, centralized platform.

  • Ensure consistent workflows across departments and procurement types.

  • Eliminate gaps between systems that lead to compliance or audit challenges.

The result: A single, unified procurement process that delivers visibility, policy alignment, and cost-effective project execution.

HOW PLANETBIDS COMPARES TO OTHER PROCUREMENT PLATFORMS

man in front of a laptop logging to PlanetBids app
man in front of a laptop logging to PlanetBids app

Many procurement tools only support one stage of the process, like vendor management or solicitation posting. That forces utilities to bridge gaps manually or through risky workarounds.

PlanetBids supports the full procurement lifecycle:

  • Manage planning, bids, submissions, evaluations, and awards in one secure, centralized platform.

  • Ensure consistent workflows across departments and procurement types.

  • Eliminate gaps between systems that lead to compliance or audit challenges.

The result: A single, unified procurement process that delivers visibility, policy alignment, and cost-effective project execution.

THE PUBLIC UTILITY PROCUREMENT PROCESS

PlanetBids procurement end-to-end for public and quasi-public utility providers. Whether you’re sourcing fuel, equipment, contractors, or services, our system ensures speed, consistency, and defensibility.

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Planning & Solicitation Creation

Use policy-compliant templates to issue RFPs, RFQs, and ITBs for complex and recurring needs.

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Vendor Discovery & Outreach

Publish to a broad network and alert vendors in specialized utility sectors.

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Bid Submission

Accept secure, timestamped electronic submissions for full transparency.

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Evaluation & Review

Collaborate across engineering, operations, legal, and finance teams with standardized scoring.

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Award & Notice

Notify vendors and finalize contracts with audit-ready documentation.

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Transparency & Records

Support grant, ratepayer, and regulatory reporting with complete records.

How PlanetBids helps

  • Centralized Solicitation Management

    Create, publish, and manage infrastructure and service solicitations in one location, reducing confusion and oversight gaps.

  • Process Automation

    Streamline routine steps like approvals, reminders, and notifications to reduce time-to-post and ensure policy compliance.

  • Secure Digital Submissions

    Collect timestamped, encrypted electronic bids that support transparency, fairness, and defensibility under public accountability standards.

  • Scalable Processes

    Standardize workflows for small recurring purchases and multi-year capital improvements, allowing utilities to scale without sacrificing control.

How PlanetBids helps

  • Complete Audit Trails

    Automatically log every action, approval, and change throughout the process to support internal audits, grant compliance, and public reporting.

  • Submission Controls

    Ensure submissions are only accepted before firm deadlines, with clear timestamps and restricted access, protecting integrity and legal defensibility.

  • Policy-Aligned Workflows

    Configure routing, review, and approval steps to mirror internal approval chains, purchasing thresholds, or public utility commission mandates.

  • Central Record Storage

    Consolidate all documents into a single searchable archive, improving response time for audits, FOIA requests, or board reviews.

How PlanetBids helps

  • Process Visibility

    Monitor procurement status across departments and project categories in real time, improving oversight and reducing surprises.

  • Structured Evaluations

    Enforce consistent scoring criteria, document rationale for decisions, and enable collaborative evaluations that are defensible under review.

  • Clear Award Records

    Create a system of record for each award decision, readily available for reporting and public inquiry.

  • Public Accountability

    Support ratepayer confidence and community trust by ensuring procurement activity is organized, traceable, and easy to share when needed.

How PlanetBids helps

  • Opportunity Discovery

    Automatically publish bid opportunities in a centralized portal, increasing visibility for all vendors, especially those new to the utility space.

  • Simplified Participation

    Offer free, user-friendly registration and submission processes that remove barriers to entry for smaller or first-time vendors.

  • Consistent Vendor Experience

    Standardize how vendors engage with your utility across projects, building trust and clarity that supports return participation.

  • Participation Insights

    Track vendor activity and engagement by type, size, or location to help meet supplier diversity goals and refine outreach strategies.

How PlanetBids helps

  • Shared Platform

    Unite all procurement-related tasks and documents in one system, accessible across divisions while maintaining role-specific controls.

  • Role-Based Access

    Ensure every stakeholder, from legal counsel to engineers, sees what they need and nothing more, improving clarity and security.

  • Central Oversight

    Enable procurement or compliance teams to maintain visibility over decentralized activity, ensuring governance and consistency.

  • Enterprise Scalability

    Support procurement across multiple facilities, service lines, or jurisdictions without losing control, data consistency, or compliance.

TOP PROBLEMS WE SOLVE

Procurement Operations

Compliance & Audit Readiness

Transparency & Accountability

Supplier Engagement & Diversity

Cross-Departmental Alignment

TOP PROBLEMS WE SOLVE

How PlanetBids helps

  • Centralized Solicitation Management

    Create, publish, and manage infrastructure and service solicitations in one location, reducing confusion and oversight gaps.

  • Process Automation

    Streamline routine steps like approvals, reminders, and notifications to reduce time-to-post and ensure policy compliance.

  • Secure Digital Submissions

    Collect timestamped, encrypted electronic bids that support transparency, fairness, and defensibility under public accountability standards.

  • Scalable Processes

    Standardize workflows for small recurring purchases and multi-year capital improvements, allowing utilities to scale without sacrificing control.

How PlanetBids helps

  • Complete Audit Trails

    Automatically log every action, approval, and change throughout the process to support internal audits, grant compliance, and public reporting.

  • Submission Controls

    Ensure submissions are only accepted before firm deadlines, with clear timestamps and restricted access, protecting integrity and legal defensibility.

  • Policy-Aligned Workflows

    Configure routing, review, and approval steps to mirror internal approval chains, purchasing thresholds, or public utility commission mandates.

  • Central Record Storage

    Consolidate all documents into a single searchable archive, improving response time for audits, FOIA requests, or board reviews.

How PlanetBids helps

  • Process Visibility

    Monitor procurement status across departments and project categories in real time, improving oversight and reducing surprises.

  • Structured Evaluations

    Enforce consistent scoring criteria, document rationale for decisions, and enable collaborative evaluations that are defensible under review.

  • Clear Award Records

    Create a system of record for each award decision, readily available for reporting and public inquiry.

  • Public Accountability

    Support ratepayer confidence and community trust by ensuring procurement activity is organized, traceable, and easy to share when needed.

How PlanetBids helps

  • Opportunity Discovery

    Automatically publish bid opportunities in a centralized portal, increasing visibility for all vendors, especially those new to the utility space.

  • Simplified Participation

    Offer free, user-friendly registration and submission processes that remove barriers to entry for smaller or first-time vendors.

  • Consistent Vendor Experience

    Standardize how vendors engage with your utility across projects, building trust and clarity that supports return participation.

  • Participation Insights

    Track vendor activity and engagement by type, size, or location to help meet supplier diversity goals and refine outreach strategies.

How PlanetBids helps

  • Shared Platform

    Unite all procurement-related tasks and documents in one system, accessible across divisions while maintaining role-specific controls.

  • Role-Based Access

    Ensure every stakeholder, from legal counsel to engineers, sees what they need and nothing more, improving clarity and security.

  • Central Oversight

    Enable procurement or compliance teams to maintain visibility over decentralized activity, ensuring governance and consistency.

  • Enterprise Scalability

    Support procurement across multiple facilities, service lines, or jurisdictions without losing control, data consistency, or compliance.

HOW WE HELP YOUR STAFF

three people with papers on hand talking

Procurement Teams

  • Reduce time spent on repetitive administrative work.
  • Maintain audit-ready documentation at all times.
  • Monitor procurement activity across departments or locations.
people on their computer

Evaluators & Operations

  • Review bids securely, collaboratively, and consistently.Access timelines, scoring tools, and documentation in one place.
  • Stay focused on project delivery, not process confusion.
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Executive & Finance Leadership

  • Gain transparent reporting across capital and operational procurement.
  • Support ratepayer accountability and regulatory reporting.
  • Make data-informed decisions with policy-aligned documentation.

TOP QUESTIONS WE GET ASKED

Does PlanetBids support the full procurement process?

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Yes. PlanetBids supports procurement from solicitation creation and vendor outreach through submission, evaluation, and award.

Is PlanetBids designed for higher education and public-sector requirements?

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Yes. The platform is purpose-built to support public-sector governance, compliance, and transparency.

Can PlanetBids help increase vendor participation?

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Yes. Automated notifications, simple registration, and digital submissions make it easier for vendors to participate.

How does PlanetBids support audits and compliance?

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PlanetBids provides complete audit trails, centralized records, and configurable workflows aligned to policy.

Can PlanetBids support multiple campuses or departments?

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Yes. PlanetBids is designed to scale across complex institutions.

How long does implementation take?

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Most institutions can launch quickly with guided onboarding and support.

How is PlanetBids priced?

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Pricing is based on institutional size and needs. Customized quotes are available.

What results can institutions expect?

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Institutions typically see faster procurement cycles, improved compliance confidence, and reduced administrative workload.

GET STARTED

PlanetBids helps power, gas, and public utility organizations modernize procurement with a flexible platform designed for both operational and regulatory complexity.

If your utility is considering eProcurement software, request a demo to see how PlanetBids supports accountability, efficiency, and growth.

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