LongBeach.biz The business intelligence desk for Long Beach, CA.

Selling to the City of Long Beach and the Port: Registration, Certification, Where Small Firms Win

Checked against the city's pages: October 2026 By Dana Castellano 13 min read

Photo by Sebastian Enrique on Unsplash

On this page

In brief

Selling to the City of Long Beach starts with a supplier account on its purchasing portal, Long Beach Buys, and selling to the Port starts with a separate free PlanetBids account; what each sale then needs depends on its size. The City buys under $40,000 through informal quotes, its code adds lines at $100,000 and $200,000, and the Port advertises work expected to exceed $100,000.

  • Registration: “Vendors must be registered in the system to respond to bid solicitations posted by the City of Long Beach”; the Port’s PlanetBids account is free214.
  • Local preference, per the City’s program page: 10 percent on ITBs up to $50,000, 5 or 10 points on RFPs and 10 percent against other quotes, for firms with a City license and a place of business in the city78.
  • Certification: City goals count only an LBSBE; the Port’s SBE/VSBE is free, lasts 3 years and gives no bid preference1618.
  • Subcontractors: a Port construction subcontractor paid the greater of $10,000 or more than 0.5% of the bid price must be registered13.
  • Where small firms win: small-dollar quotes, on-call and as-needed pools, and subcontracting under small-business goals1321.

The City and the Port publish how to sell to them on different platforms, with different dollar lines and certifications. A firm registered with one is not registered with the other, and the rules that decide what a sale needs sit in a Charter, a municipal code, two purchasing divisions and a 2011 Port manual. This pillar gives the sequence from registration to award for both buyers, the thresholds, the certifications in one table and where small firms win. The business license the local preference asks for comes in the order set out in How to Start a Business in Long Beach. Everything below is as of October 2026.

The short answer

If you are… Do this
A Long Beach business with a City license Register on Long Beach Buys and add NIGP codes; the local preference applies to quotes under $40,000, ITBs and RFPs47
A firm outside Long Beach The same registrations; the local preference needs a place of business in the city, while the Port’s SBE/VSBE does not716
Aiming at the Port Create a free PlanetBids account; work expected to exceed $100,000 is advertised there1314
A small firm that wants goal credit LBSBE for City goals; Port SBE/VSBE or a current state DGS certificate for Port goals1618
A subcontractor Register as a supplier on Long Beach Buys, or in PlanetBids for Port construction above the line513
A contractor on public works Prevailing wage applies; project labor agreements cover larger contracts2223
Swimlane diagram of the route from registration to award for the City of Long Beach and the Port: register on Long Beach Buys and on PlanetBids, certify if a goal applies, quote or bid, then the City's notice of intent to award and purchase order and the Port's executed agreement.
The route from registration to award for the City and the Port, in parallel tracks. Thresholds as of October 2026.

Step 1. Register with each buyer

The City’s portal is Long Beach Buys. The Supplier Registration Guide has the vendor enter a tax ID (an EIN or SSN), a company name and an email address, confirm the account from a validation email, then fill tabs for company, administrator, address, terms, categories and certifications, and commodity codes4. The City uses NIGP commodity codes, which “will automatically email you when new opportunities are posted with those NIGP codes”6. The guide lists no fee. The Purchasing Division’s help line is (562) 570-6200, and the troubleshooting guide says the support is free6. A “Doing Business with the City” webinar runs on the third Thursday of each month on Zoom12. The steps in full are in Long Beach Buys: How to Register as a City Vendor.

The Port’s portal is PlanetBids, number 19236, reached through the Port Partners site. The Port’s FAQ: “Yes. Vendors must create a free PlanetBids account to access solicitation documents and submit bids or proposals electronically”, and registration does not guarantee a contract14. The steps are in the Port’s quick reference guide, the 31 August 2026 version15, and in Port of Long Beach Vendor Registration.

Buyer Where bids post Registration
City of Long Beach Long Beach Buys Tax ID, company name and email; the guide lists no fee4
Port of Long Beach PlanetBids portal 19236 Free account14
Long Beach Transit, LBUSD, Long Beach City College Each its own PlanetBids portal See Selling to Long Beach Transit, LBUSD, Long Beach City College, Long Beach Utilities and the Airport

The first condition of the local preference is “a current, valid business license from the City of Long Beach showing a place of business within the city limits”, plus a California seller’s permit “if applicable”7. The license steps are in How to Apply for a Long Beach Business License.

Step 2. Match the sale to its dollar line

What a sale needs follows its size. The lines below are the ones the buyers state, with the source and its date.

Line What happens Source
City, under $40,000 Small-dollar purchases are “handled through an informal procurement process where the City selects vendor who submits the best value quote”; the limit was raised “from $25,000 to $40,000” in an October 7, 2024 release 78
City, up to $100,000 The Purchasing Agent may issue a purchase order without advertising; the code allows $500,000 for homeland-security grants and Long Beach Recovery Act money 9
City, $100,000 to $200,000 (non-grant) A purchase order is allowed “if the award is based on an Invitation to Bid (ITB) or a Request for Proposal (RFP) process, which results in at least three (3) bids or proposals” 9
City, above that The Charter requires award “with the lowest responsible bidder … after one publication of a notice calling for bids in a daily newspaper”, by order of the City Council and signed by the City Manager; Long Beach Utilities puts its formal ITBs and RFPs at “over $200,000” 1019
Port, over $100,000 “If the anticipated value of the work will exceed $100,000, the opportunity will be advertised on PlanetBids, unless otherwise noted” 13
Port, under $100,000 “A simplified process”, with a Small Purchase Opportunities notification form 13
Port subcontractors On construction, any subcontractor expected to be paid “the greater of $10,000 or more than 0.5% of the bid price” must be identified in the bid and registered 13

The City’s pages do not reconcile the $40,000 small-dollar limit with the code’s $100,000 no-advertising authority, so a sale between those two figures is governed by what its solicitation states. How the tiers work in a bid is in How City of Long Beach Bidding Works.

Official pages disagree The Long Beach Buys help guide tells vendors who want small quote requests to answer “Interested In Projects at $25K or less” with “Yes- I want to submit proposals for solicitations valued at $25K or less”6. The City’s October 7, 2024 release and its assistance page put the small-dollar limit at $40,00078. The guide’s wording matches the old limit; $40,000 is the figure in the 2024 release.

The local preference

The City’s program page lists the preference by procurement method78:

Method Preference
RFP 5 percentage points for home-based businesses; 10 for retail or commercial (non-residential) businesses
ITB 10 percent, up to $50,000
Small-dollar purchase 10 percent “when compared to other quotes”

The code text is narrower than the page. Section 2.84.030 covers “materials, equipment, supplies and nonprofessional services” and does not apply to public works or to bids funded by Tidelands, grant or State money9. The page is the City’s summary; the code is the legal text.

Step 3. Certify, if a goal applies

Certification is optional at both buyers, and each counts a different set. The Port’s FAQ states that small business certification is not required to do business with it, though some solicitations carry participation goals1416. The table puts the certifications side by side; LBSBE, Port SBE and DBE has the detail.

Certification Issuer Cost and term Where it counts
LBSBE (with VSBE and LSBE) City, through Long Beach Buys The pages quoted state no fee or term City goals; “regardless of state/federal SBE status”118
Port SBE and VSBE Port, in PlanetBids Free; 3 years; reviewed “within five business days” Port goals; no bid preference16
Small Business, Microbusiness, DVBE State DGS, Cal eProcure “There is no fee”; “Up to 2 years” The Port accepts Small Business and Microbusiness; the City requires its own LBSBE162032
DBE and ACDBE CUCP members: Caltrans, LA Metro, City of Los Angeles Not stated Federally funded work; under reevaluation since October 3, 202527

Source: the pages cited in each row; terms as of October 2026. A firm outside Long Beach can hold a Port SBE: “Businesses do not need to be located in Long Beach to qualify”16.

A prime that is not itself certified must reach the City’s combined goal using “at least two of the following three certification types” or document good faith efforts, scored at “70 out of a possible 100 points”18. The Port reports $54.4 million to certified small businesses last year against a 27 percent participation goal16.

Step 4. Find the work and read the solicitation

Notices follow the NIGP codes in the profile, but the lists are public. The City’s Open Bids search and the Port’s Contracting Opportunities page, snapshotted in What the City and Port of Long Beach Are Buying, show what is open; the City’s Upcoming Contracting Opportunities page and the Port’s engineering forecasts show what is planned31321.

The one City solicitation read, UD-25-260, carried the RFP package, a pre-proposal meeting document, a Prevailing Wage Determination and amendments, with the rule that “amendments must be acknowledged with submission”24; other forms in a given packet were not seen. Where a goal applies, the mandatory submissions are the SBE/VSBE/LSBE Commitment Plan and, if the goal is not met, a Good Faith Effort letter25. A contractor or subcontractor listed on a construction bid must be registered with the Department of Industrial Relations, with limited exceptions for bidding, and a missing registration blocks the bid26. Responses in the City system are called “Quotes”: one cannot be edited, but “the Seller may withdraw the Quote (for editing and resubmission) at any time before the Bid Opening Date and Time”, and a subcontractor must itself be a registered supplier before a prime can add it5.

Observed timelines vary. City solicitation UD-25-260 ran 8 days from release to pre-bid and 30 days from release to opening in 202524. On October 2, 2026 the Port’s three advertised solicitations ran 28 to 49 days from pre-bid meeting to due date13.

A missing Commitment Plan or Good Faith Effort letter makes a bid non-responsive when a goal applies, and reconsideration must be requested within three business days25. At the Port, the 2011 manual sends bid irregularities to the City Attorney’s Office for a responsiveness decision17.

Step 5. What attaches: insurance, bonds and labor rules

Insurance and bonds decide whether a signed contract can start. The City’s rules sit in Administrative Regulation 8-27, revised March 202428; at the Port, the 2011 manual requires evidence of coverage, with the Port as additional insured, before a contract is executed17. The limits and bond amounts are in Insurance and Bonds for City of Long Beach Contracts.

Labor rules attach by contract size. The Port says prevailing wage applies to public works over $1,000, or $2,000 if federally funded22. The City’s project labor agreement covers construction contracts over $750,000, or $1,000,000 for street and right-of-way projects23. The Port-Wide PLA covers 25 projects worth $769 million, 2023 to 2033, with goals of 40 percent local, 15 percent disadvantaged and 10 percent veteran workers22. The detail is in Project Labor Agreements, Prevailing Wage and the Living Wage in Long Beach.

Step 6. Award, purchase order and payment

At the City, who bid and who won are not visible until the Notice of Intent to Award is released, which “can take multiple weeks to months depending on how many quotes need to be evaluated”6. A contract does not guarantee payment: the City says a Purchase Order is needed before work starts, and late invoices trace to a missing PO, wrong details or the wrong department or person11.

At the Port, the Vendor Guide lists planning, solicitation development, advertising, evaluation and selection, then award and execution, and advises “Wait until the agreement is fully executed or authorization is given before beginning work”29. The 2011 manual puts the notice to proceed “30 days after all contract award conditions have been met (e.g., insurance, bonds)”17.

Where small firms win

Five entry points recur across the buyers’ pages, listed here from smallest to largest.

  1. Small-dollar purchases under $40,000. The 10 percent local preference applies “when compared to other quotes”7. This is the entry point for a storefront or home-based business.
  2. As-needed and on-call pools. The City’s forecast lists As-Needed Traffic Striping and Signal Systems, As-Needed Real Property Environmental Services, As-Needed Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Services and a Bond Underwriters Pool21. The Port uses the same model: “multiple firms (3-5) are awarded contracts within core disciplines” in the 2011 manual, and on October 2, 2026 its page listed on-call information technology, economic consulting and clean energy consulting as multiple-award1317.
  3. Subcontracting under small-business goals. A prime that needs a certified small firm to avoid a Good Faith Effort letter is the buyer in these deals18.
  4. On-call construction. The Port’s August 2026 on-call schedule lists underground wet utilities, demolition, equipment rental, electrical and marine concrete repairs, with estimated advertise dates from November 12, 2026 to March 18, 202730.
  5. Port small purchases under $100,000, through the Small Purchase Opportunities notification form13.

At the other end of the scale, the Port’s Pier B Rail Yard Expansion carries a conceptual cost of $370.2 million31.

Guides in this section

Every Contracts guide, in the order of the route.

Registration
– Long Beach Buys: How to Register as a City Vendor, Pick Commodity Codes and Get Bid Notices
– Port of Long Beach Vendor Registration: PlanetBids, the $100,000 Line, Subcontractor Listing and the Harbor Development Permit

Certification
– LBSBE, Port SBE and DBE: Which Long Beach Certification Counts Where, What Each Costs and How Long It Lasts

Bidding and the rules that attach
– How City of Long Beach Bidding Works: Thresholds, Pre-Bid Meetings, Bonds, Protests and Council Approval
– Insurance and Bonds for City of Long Beach Contracts: AR 8-27 Limits, Additional Insured Wording and the Small-Business Program
– Project Labor Agreements, Prevailing Wage and the Living Wage in Long Beach: Which Contracts They Cover

Who else buys, and what is open
– Selling to Long Beach Transit, LBUSD, Long Beach City College, Long Beach Utilities and the Airport: Where Each Posts Bids
– What the City and Port of Long Beach Are Buying: Open Bids, the Forecast and the FY27 Capital Plan, as of October 2026

What the route adds up to

The fixed costs are small: the Port’s PlanetBids account and SBE/VSBE certification are free, DGS certification has no fee, and the City’s registration guide lists none1416324. The costs that scale are the ones the buyers set per contract: insurance, bonds, prevailing wage and the labor agreements. The site earns a commission on some links to business services, which does not affect what is recommended.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I register to sell to the City of Long Beach?

Create a supplier account on Long Beach Buys with a tax ID, company name and email, then add NIGP commodity codes; help is at (562) 570-620046.

Does the Port of Long Beach use the same portal?

No. The Port uses PlanetBids, reached through Port Partners, and its account is free14.

Does Long Beach give local businesses a bid preference?

Yes, per the City’s program page: 10 percent on ITBs up to $50,000, 5 or 10 points on RFPs and 10 percent against other quotes, with a City business license and a place of business in the city78.

Is a state small business certification enough for Long Beach contracts?

For the Port, a current DGS Small Business or Microbusiness certificate is accepted for SBE/VSBE status; for City goals, the LBSBE is required161.

Is the DBE program still running?

It is under reevaluation after the October 3, 2025 federal rule; the City’s page says its program is paused and Long Beach Transit’s says it is resuming273334.

Sources

  1. Small Business Enterprises — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  2. Long Beach Buys portal home — City of Long Beach. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  3. Open Bids search — Long Beach Buys, City of Long Beach. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  4. Long Beach Buys Supplier Registration Guide — City of Long Beach. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  5. Long Beach Buys Bid Solicitation & Quotes Guide — City of Long Beach. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  6. Long Beach Buys Vendor Troubleshooting Guide — City of Long Beach. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  7. Local and Small Business Assistance — City of Long Beach, Purchasing Division. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  8. City Expands Local Preference Program for Procurements (October 7, 2024) — City of Long Beach. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  9. Long Beach Municipal Code, Chapter 2.84 Contracts — Municode. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  10. City Charter, Article XVIII Contracts — Municode. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  11. The Vendor Onboarding Experience — City of Long Beach, Purchasing Division. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  12. Vendor Support — City of Long Beach, Purchasing Division. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  13. Contracting Opportunities — Port of Long Beach, Port Partners. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  14. Compete with Confidence — Port of Long Beach, Port Partners. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  15. Quick Reference Guide: How to Register as a Vendor in PlanetBids (31 Aug 2026) — Port of Long Beach, Port Partners. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  16. SBE/VSBE Program — Port of Long Beach, Port Partners. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  17. Port of Long Beach Contracting Procedures Manual (last revised February 2011) — Port of Long Beach, Harbor Department. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  18. LBSBE Program Participation Instructions (Rev. May 2022) — City of Long Beach. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  19. Purchasing — Long Beach Utilities. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  20. Apply for or Re-apply as Small Business / DVBE — California Department of General Services. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  21. Upcoming Contracting Opportunities — City of Long Beach, Purchasing Division. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  22. Labor Compliance / PLA Program — Port of Long Beach, Port Partners. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  23. Project Labor Agreement — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  24. Bid UD-25-260 — Long Beach Buys, City of Long Beach. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  25. SBE Participation Instructions — City of Long Beach. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  26. Labor Compliance — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  27. DBE Certification & Reevaluation — California Department of Transportation. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  28. Administrative Regulation 8-27, Minimum Insurance Requirements (revised March 2024) — City of Long Beach, Human Resources. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  29. Vendor Guide to Understanding the POLB Procurement Process — Port of Long Beach, Port Partners. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  30. Near Term Construction On-Call Work Bidding Schedule, August 2026 — Port of Long Beach, Engineering Bureau. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  31. Near Term Construction Project Bidding Schedule, August 2026 — Port of Long Beach, Engineering Bureau. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  32. Certification General FAQs (April 24, 2026) — California Department of General Services. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  33. Compliance — City of Long Beach, Purchasing Division. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  34. Doing Business with LBT — Long Beach Transit. Accessed 2026-10-02.