THE EPROCUREMENT PLATFORM FLORIDA AGENCIES CHOOSE TO MODERNIZE PROCUREMENT

In many cases, yes. PlanetBids is available through the Sourcewell cooperative contract, which allows Florida agencies to purchase without issuing a new competitive solicitation under FS 287.042(2)(d). Cities, counties, special districts, CDDs, transit agencies, and universities can execute a contract directly through Sourcewell, eliminating the 90–120 day RFP process.

If your agency prefers a different path, our team can walk you through additional options including State Term Contract piggyback authority and MyFloridaMarketPlace cooperative agreements.

Transparency is built into PlanetBids at the platform level. All bid documents, vendor communications, and evaluation scores are automatically date-stamped and archived per FS 119 public records retention schedules. Public-facing bid portals provide the transparency required under FS 286.011 while protecting evaluator anonymity during active scoring periods per cone of silence provisions in Miami-Dade, Broward, and other counties.

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which built its entire public procurement process from scratch using PlanetBids — has had zero valid bid protests since go-live, and uses the platform to demonstrate full accountability to its board and the public in real time.

Yes. PlanetBids includes templates for FEMA-required cost-price analysis, sole source justification documentation, and competitive bidding thresholds. The system generates audit packages matching FEMA formatting requirements for expedited reimbursement approval, cutting procurement package preparation from 28 hours to 3 hours.

For Florida's 35 coastal counties facing repetitive hurricane impacts, having FEMA-compliant procurement infrastructure deployed before hurricane season is critical. PlanetBids enables rapid deployment of debris removal, temporary housing, and infrastructure repair contracts while maintaining competitive bidding compliance under emergency provisions of FS 252.36.

Yes, lean teams often benefit the most. PlanetBids is designed so that one person can manage the full procurement lifecycle without being a technical expert. The platform handles vendor notifications, addenda distribution, bid tabulation, and FS 119 compliance documentation automatically.

Vendors are supported directly by PlanetBids' dedicated vendor support team,  your office doesn't field calls about registration, document uploads, or bid submissions. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District built its procurement function entirely from scratch and noted vendor adoption was surprisingly smooth: "I hardly got a phone call at all," said Contracting Officer Tiffany Kimball. PlanetBids is modular, start with what you need and add capabilities as your agency grows.

Implementation typically takes as little as two days to four weeks after contract execution, depending on how quickly your agency is ready to move forward. PlanetBids can begin implementation within a week of receiving an executed contract. For agencies with urgent timelines, a FEMA project deadline, a grant obligation window, or an approaching hurricane season, PlanetBids can move quickly.

Each agency is assigned a dedicated account manager with extensive procurement experience who handles configuration and conducts live online training. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District was able to get its entire team up and running quickly, with minimal delay to outstanding projects — even while building their procurement function entirely from the ground up.

PlanetBids is priced as an annual SaaS subscription, there are no per-bid fees, no vendor fees, and no transaction costs. Vendors register and bid for free, which keeps your vendor pool wide and competitive.

Pricing is based on a base hosting fee plus per-user licensing, structured in tiers depending on your agency size and the modules you need. There is a one-time setup fee for implementation; ongoing support is always included at no additional cost. Because PlanetBids is modular, you're not paying for features you don't use.

For Florida agencies purchasing through Sourcewell, pricing is available under pre-negotiated cooperative contract terms, with fiscal year alignment to Florida's October 1 budget cycle. Book a demo and our team will walk you through options specific to your agency.