THE EPROCUREMENT PLATFORM TEXAS AGENCIES CHOOSE TO MODERNIZE PROCUREMENT

In many cases, yes. PlanetBids is available through the TIPS cooperative contract (Interlocal Purchasing System, administered by Region 8 ESC), which has pre-competed PlanetBids on behalf of Texas agencies. Cities, counties, school districts, MUDs, and special purpose districts can execute directly without a new competitive solicitation.

If your agency prefers a direct procurement path, our team can provide support materials addressing common City Attorney concerns including data ownership and Texas cybersecurity standards.

PlanetBids has Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) classification built directly into the vendor registry. Agencies can filter their vendor pool by HUB certification status, track participation goals across solicitations, and generate compliance documentation without maintaining separate spreadsheets.

When you issue a bid, the system automatically matches and notifies HUB-certified vendors by commodity code, ensuring you're reaching the right businesses without manual outreach. Every vendor interaction is timestamped and logged, giving you an audit-ready record of your HUB outreach efforts for any state review.

Yes — and in fact, lean teams are often who benefit most. PlanetBids is specifically 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 compliance documentation automatically, giving small teams back hours they currently spend on manual tasks.

Vendors are supported directly by PlanetBids' dedicated vendor support team , meaning your office doesn't field calls about how to register, upload documents, or submit bids. PlanetBids is also modular, so you start with what you need and add capabilities as your agency grows.

PlanetBids is built to support the purchasing workflows required under the Texas Education Code, including competitive sealed bidding for contracts above applicable thresholds and EDGAR compliance documentation for districts using federal funds.

The platform supports your district's entire bid lifecycle, from posting a solicitation with the required public notice, through sealed bid opening, tabulation, and award documentation, with every action timestamped and logged. For districts managing bond-funded projects, the system supports multi-round evaluations, committee scoring, and exportable scoring matrices that hold up to public scrutiny.

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. Each agency is assigned a dedicated account manager with extensive procurement experience who handles configuration and conducts live online training.

Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority in Austin noted that PlanetBids was able to help them implement additional features "quickly and easily, without major additional training or complicated customization", even under the time pressure of a full remote work transition,

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 the modules your agency needs. 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 Texas agencies purchasing through TIPS, pricing is available under pre-negotiated cooperative contract terms. Book a demo and our team will walk you through options specific to your agency size and module needs.