Who Is PlanetBids?

In a landscape dominated by Software as a Service companies based in foreign countries, PlanetBids stands as a shining example of a software system designed, developed, and supported in the United States.

Founded in 2000 in California, PlanetBids is at the forefront of delivering intelligent and innovative cloud-based procurement solutions to a diverse range of clients, including government, education, private, and nonprofit agencies.

A proven and trusted solution for streamlining procurement processes, PlanetBids unites public purchasing professionals, contracting staff, emergency operations professionals and the vendor/contractor community under one virtual roof. The company boasts more than $52 billion in sourced funds, more than 400,000 unique registered vendors nationwide, and a staggering 3.9 million electronic bids received.

PlanetBids' third-generation PB System™ is the leading Section 508-compliant eProcurement management hosted software system. This robust system covers all types of procurements, including public works and construction projects, making it indispensable for a wide range of clients, such as airports, water ports, first responders, transportation districts, cities, counties, colleges and universities, K-12 educational systems, water districts, and construction contractors.

The PB System™, hosted on servers within the US, is securely and continuously monitored 24/7. Customers and vendors alike can access support via phone, internet, and email, with complimentary monthly webinars offered to show clients how to harness the system's full potential.

PlanetBids takes immense pride in its customer service reputation, with current response times to support tickets averaging 10 minutes or less. Additionally, each agency is assigned a dedicated account manager who serves as their trusted partner, bringing firsthand experience in government procurement that ensures they understand the unique challenges clients face.

 An eProcurement Ecosystem

The PlanetBids platform offers 8 interconnecting modules that encompass all facets of purchasing, both on the agency and the vendor side:

1. Bid Management – the heart of the PB System™, where procurement officers manage the process of issuing, monitoring, evaluating, and awarding bids.
2. Vendor Management – a powerful component of the modular PB System™ consisting of a registration process that keeps track of all vendor contact information and statistics.
3. Business Certification – a robust system for managing Small Business Enterprise, Minority, and Diversity applications and multiple levels of construction prequalification, including architectural and construction management vendors.
4. Contract Management – the hub, where all contract information resides and all tasks, automated emails, and reports are scheduled and generated.
5. Insurance Certificate Management – request, track, and schedule renewals to protect the agency from risk.
6. Evaluation Management – eliminate in-person evaluation meetings by facilitating online evaluation of bidders and select the best proposal under the supervision of the contract manager.
7. Emergency Operations – clients can retrieve and manage up-to-date information on vendors that provide goods and services in an emergency.
8. Bid Spec Library – for PlanetBids clients only, this provides unlimited access to thousands of projects where bid specs, agency contacts, pricing, and cooperative or piggybackable contracts can be utilized.

Depending on which modules are selected by the client, the implementation process typically takes two to four weeks after contract execution. As a cloud-based SaaS provider, minimum resources are required, and the implementation process itself is streamlined. The PlanetBids team works with the client to configure the modules to meet the organization’s business processes as closely as possible. Then it’s on to testing, training, and posting the PlanetBids vendor portal link to the client’s website. 

What Our eProcurement Champions Say

“What I find impressive about PlanetBids is not the ease of use of the online RFP system, but the people who stand behind it. Instead of waiting for days for support or to have a simple question answered, PlanetBids met and exceeded my expectations.” – John Tamura, Interim Director of Procurement and Risk Management, El Camino College

"The rapid implementation of the PlanetBids’ bidding platform has streamlined our bidding process and reduced cycle time by 50%. PlanetBids has made their bidding portal easy to understand. Our Procurement Administrators had a seamless transition from paper to electronic bidding.” – Roy Ditching, Manager of Procurement Services, Golden State Water Company

"PlanetBids is always ready to help to any extent and very patiently, even with someone like me who is not very computer-savvy. We at the city appreciate it, since bidding can be stressful at times.” – Amir Ilkhanipour, Senior Engineer, City of San Clemente

“Our vendors have given high praise to the PB System™ compared to the others that local municipalities use.” – Jennifer Dyment, Assistant Executive Director, Bay Area Clean Water Agencies

“If we need a modification, they’re there and they’re quick. They listen, and they understand the needs of their customers.” – Jana Vargas, Director of Procurement and Contract Services, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority

To learn more about how PlanetBids can streamline your work and how easy it is to get automated, contact our eProcurement experts today.