Your firm can register to become a vendor to receive invitations for upcoming bidding opportunities from the MWRD. Click on the Vendor Application Form and complete the vendor application. Complete the “National Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP) Commodity/Service List” to indicate the supplies, equipment and services that your firm can provide. Once your vendor application has been approved, you will receive an email indicating your vendor number.

Once you are registered, your firm will receive invitations to bid. The MWRD emails registered vendors invitations to bid for opportunities that correspond with their selected NIGP codes. Invitations to bid are also advertised in the Chicago Tribune and posted on the website every Wednesday. If your firm would like provide a bid, click on Contract Announcements, download the contract/RFP, fill it out, and submit it by the due date as instructed in the bid document. Once you have downloaded the contract/RFP, you are considered a plan holder for that contract/RFP. A plan holder list is available online in Contract Announcements. Any addendum for the contract/RFP will be posted online and emailed to all plan holders on record. In addition, bidders can ask questions and receive responses online for advertised contracts/RFPs in Contract  Announcements.

Submit your bid as indicated in the bid documents. Bids are to be uploaded electronically, from the date of the Invitation to Bid, up to 11:00 AM on the specified bid opening date. A unique link for electronic document submittal will be given with each contract/RFP. The sealed bids are then opened publicly and can be viewed via a live stream. Bid opening results are posted online shortly after the bid opening.

View the Bid Opening Live Stream

Vendors are selected for award based on the price and quality of goods and services. If your firm is considered for an award of a contract or RFP, you will be notified and asked to submit a post qualification form and issued a purchase order thereafter. The MWRD is committed to finding the best value for our taxpayers and residents.  

The MWRD’s Board of Commissioners approves contracts and RFPs for material, supplies and equipment requirements over $25,000, and for service requirements over $10,000, including construction. Five years of Board award information is searchable online in Contracts Awarded. 

For payment, please send your invoice to accounts.payable@mwrd.org. The MWRD’s purchase order number must be on all invoices. The MWRD complies with the Local Government Prompt Payment Act and pays for equipment, material or services within 30 calendar days after satisfactory delivery and acceptance, and subsequent approval of the invoice.

In an effort to streamline the bidding and award process, vendors can apply for M/WBE certification throughout the year. Simply complete the vendor application and indicate that you are a minority or woman owned business.  Additionally, we are now accepting the City of Chicago and Cook County certifications.  Supplemental documents will be required depending upon the certifying agency.

For additional information on Doing Business with the MWRD as an M/W/V business, please visit the Diversity Section. There, you can view the MWRD’s Affirmative Action Ordinance Revised Appendix D and Vendor List and plan to attend one of our bi-annual vendor outreach fairs.