Guides / Registering on portals
How to register on BC Bid as a supplier
Step-by-step BC Bid supplier registration for trades: the Business BCeID you need first, setting up the account, adding staff and getting notices.
Short answer
To register on BC Bid you first need a Business BCeID, not a Basic BCeID. With it, start registration from the BC Bid public portal, log in, accept the BCeID and BC Bid terms, and the first person to register becomes your company's Supplier Admin. You can browse opportunities without an account, but you need one to bid.
BC Bid is the Province of BC's procurement site. Ministries and other public bodies post opportunities there, and registered suppliers can submit bids electronically and sign up for notifications. Registering is a one-time job, but it has to happen before you find a contract you want, so do it now.
Do I need an account to see BC Bid opportunities?
No. Anyone can view opportunities, contract awards and unverified bid results on BC Bid without logging in. You need an account to submit an electronic bid and to subscribe to notifications.
Step 1: Get a Business BCeID
BC Bid logs you in with a Business BCeID. A Basic BCeID won't work: the province warns that a Basic BCeID gets an "Access Denied" message at the registration form.
A Business BCeID is registered by someone authorized to act for your business, and you'll need documents that prove the business's identity and an email address. The BCeID site explains which documents fit your type of business. Leave time for this step before any deadline.
Suppliers from outside BC can register too. They also need a Business BCeID.
Step 2: Decide who your Supplier Admin is
The first person from your company to register on BC Bid automatically becomes the Supplier Admin. That person manages the company account and approves anyone else from your business who registers. The role can be handed to someone else later, but it's simplest if the owner or office manager registers first.
Step 3: Register on BC Bid
- Read the Prepare and Register section of the BC Bid Supplier Guide (linked below).
- Start registration from the BC Bid public portal.
- Log in with your Business BCeID and accept the BCeID terms. You'll set up and change your password.
- Accept the BC Bid terms of use.
- Finish your company profile.
Step 4: Add the rest of your team
Anyone else in your business who should see bids or submit them registers the same way, with their own login under your Business BCeID. Their account stays inactive until your Supplier Admin activates it in BC Bid. If someone gets "Access Denied" after logging in, that's usually why.
Step 5: Pick your commodity codes and notifications
BC Bid sorts opportunities with UNSPSC commodity codes, a standard list of goods and services. It doesn't use every code, and the codes it does use are searchable in the application. Choose the codes for your services so you're notified about the right opportunities. The province also publishes a spreadsheet that maps the older GSIN codes to UNSPSC if you know those.
Does CrewBid read BC Bid?
Not yet. BC Bid is next on our list of sources, and today we read CanadaBuys plus the websites and feeds of public buyers across BC. See where we look. Until BC Bid is in, keep your BC Bid notifications on alongside CrewBid alerts.
Who do I call if registration goes wrong?
The BC Bid Help Desk: 250-387-7301 or bcbid@gov.bc.ca. For problems with the BCeID itself, contact the BCeID Help Desk through bceid.ca.
What next?
Once you're registered, read how to win government contracts in BC for the rest of the process, and the paperwork buyers ask for so it's ready when a bid closes.
Sources
Rules and forms change. Check the official page before you rely on a detail here.