Last verified November 2, 2026. Portals and forms change, so confirm details on the official pages linked below before you submit anything.
Most businesses and nonprofits that want to sell to NYC Public Schools (the DOE) get stuck at the start, not because the process is hard, but because it runs through three separate systems that look alike and do different jobs. Register in the wrong one, or skip one, and you can wait months for school contract notices that never arrive.
This guide walks through all three, in the order that works.
Free help is available. The LaGuardia Community College APEX Accelerator will walk you through DOE vendor setup and M/WBE certification at no cost. Get free help from LaGuardia APEX.
The three systems at a glance
PIP (Payee Information Portal): gets you a City vendor number and lets the City pay you. Run by the City of New York.
PASSPort: City-wide procurement enrollment, including your disclosures, background, and commodities. Run by the City of New York (MOCS).
NYCPS Vendor Portal: puts you on the DOE's bidders list and sends you DOE solicitations. Run by NYC Public Schools.
Registering in PASSPort does not add you to the DOE's bidders list. And a Vendor Portal account alone does not make you an active DOE vendor. You need all three.
Official vendor guides
Each system publishes its own step-by-step guide. Keep these open as you work.
PIP: PIP Activation Quick Start Guide · PIP page and tutorials. Help: [email protected] or 212-857-1777.
PASSPort: Vendor Enrollment guide · Create a PASSPort account · Beginner's Guide to PASSPort · Contracting Roadmap. Help: nyc.gov/mocshelp.
NYCPS Vendor Portal and DOE: Contracts and Purchasing · Important vendor topics and forms · Procurement Policy and Procedures · Polaris Vendor User Guide. Vendor Hotline: (718) 935-2300 or [email protected].
Before you start
An EIN from the IRS.
Your business registered with the NYS Department of State. Nonprofits also register with the NYS Charities Bureau.
A business email you control and plan to keep. Notices from all three systems go there.
A street address for your administrative and 1099 contact. The DOE does not accept PO Boxes for these.
The names of your principal owners and officers. Each one completes a questionnaire in PASSPort.
Step 1: Create your PIP account
Do this first. The City recommends creating your PIP account before your PASSPort account.
Go to nyc.gov/pip and select Activate.
Search for an existing account. If none comes up, continue as a new vendor.
Create a User ID, password, and email, and set up five security questions.
Click the link in the verification email (check spam if it doesn't arrive).
Enter your TIN, business classification, legal name, addresses, and a principal contact.
Review the Activation Summary, submit, then review and sign the Substitute W-9.
Save your Vendor Code. You need it for PASSPort.
After activation, log in and enroll in direct deposit (EFT). The City requires electronic payment for most contracts.
Help: [email protected] or 212-857-1777.
Step 2: Create your PASSPort account
Register a NYC.ID. This is not the same as IDNYC.
Request a vendor PASSPort account using your PIP vendor code.
Wait for MOCS to approve the request, then log in with your NYC.ID.
The person who submits the request becomes the Vendor Admin and receives every PASSPort notification. Add a second admin so one departure doesn't lock you out.
Step 3: Complete PASSPort Vendor Enrollment
This is the longest step. Vendor Enrollment is a set of business questions and disclosures, and agencies cannot start any contracting action with you until it is done.
The package has four tabs: Basic Information, Contacts, Disclosures, and Documentation.
Each principal owner and officer completes a separate Principal Questionnaire.
Red alerts block submission. Clear every one.
A Vendor Admin or Signatory signs and submits. Contributors can enter data but cannot sign.
When your status reads Filed, you are enrolled. MOCS typically takes 3 to 5 days after submission.
Then, in your profile:
Enroll in commodities that match what you sell. This is how the City sees what you provide.
Disclose any certifications you hold (M/WBE, EBE, LBE).
Health and human services providers also complete an HHS Prequalification application in PASSPort.
If your information changes later, file a Change Request, and review your disclosures at least once a year.
Official guide: Complete the PASSPort Vendor Enrollment. Help desk: nyc.gov/mocshelp.
Step 4: Register in the NYCPS Vendor Portal
This is the step most people miss. Register at finance360.org/vendor.
Registration puts you on the DOE's bidders list and sends solicitation notices to your email.
Choose your notification categories carefully. Pick what you actually sell instead of subscribing to everything, or the notices become noise you stop reading.
Read the DOE Procurement Policy and Procedures. Vendors are expected to know and follow it.
Questions go to the Vendor Hotline: (718) 935-2300 or [email protected], 9am to 5pm.
Step 5: Find work
There are two routes into the DOE.
Formal contracts. Large purchases go through competitive solicitations: Requests for Bids, Requests for Proposals, and similar. Watch the DOE's Upcoming Solicitations page and the City Record Online. See who has won recently on the awarded contracts page.
Small purchases by schools. Individual schools and offices buy smaller items and services directly from vendors that don't hold a DOE contract. For many new vendors this is the realistic first sale. You still need to be a registered, payable vendor, which is why Steps 1 through 4 come first. Introduce yourself to school leaders, and call the Vendor Hotline if you are unsure how a particular purchase works.
Register as an M/WBE
Certification is not required to do business with the DOE, but it is worth doing. The DOE publishes M/WBE subcontracting requirements, so prime contractors have participation goals to meet and need certified partners.
The DOE does not certify firms itself. Apply through one or both of these:
NYC Small Business Services (SBS): start at Certify with the City. Questions: [email protected] or (212) 513-6311.
New York State Empire State Development (ESD): [email protected] or (212) 803-2414.
City certification gets you a free listing in the NYC Online Directory of Certified Businesses, access to mentorship programs and workshops, one-on-one bid help, and M/WBE-only events like the annual Citywide Procurement Fair. Many firms hold both City and State certification, because different buyers look for different ones.
Once you are certified, disclose it in PASSPort so City agencies can see it. SBS also runs a Contract Financing Loan Fund for vendors with City contracts. The NYC Business site has details.
Get free help: APEX Accelerators
You do not have to do this alone, and you do not have to pay for help. APEX Accelerators are free government contracting programs funded in part by the U.S. Department of Defense. They help local businesses register, certify, and compete for federal, state, and city contracts.
The LaGuardia Community College APEX Accelerator is a strong place to start. It offers:
One-on-one counseling on registrations and the contracting process
Help obtaining Federal, NYC, and NYS M/WBE certifications
Review of bids and contracts, and training on government procurement rules
A database of bid opportunities
Networking events and matchmaking with government buyers
All services are free. Contact them at (718) 482-5306 or [email protected], or use the registration link on their site to become a client.
Outside Queens? The NYC SBS APEX Accelerator offers the same kind of one-on-one help for the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island. Reach it at (212) 513-6444 or [email protected].
Bring your PIP vendor code, your PASSPort status, and a list of what you sell to your first appointment. You will get more out of it.
If you sell software
Since July 1, 2023, all third-party software vendors must complete the DOE's data privacy compliance process and the Office of Technology and Innovation's Cloud Review. This applies even to purchases under $25,000 and to free or donated software. Start early. Begin at the Data Privacy and Security Compliance Process page.
Getting paid
Submit invoices through Polaris. The DOE no longer accepts invoices by email.
The DOE pays only against Certified Purchase Orders. Do not deliver without one.
Every invoice needs your name, address, and contact; the invoice date and a unique invoice number; the PO number; the service or delivery date; itemized unit prices; any credits; the total due; and a remittance address.
Back up the invoice with proof for your vendor type. Commodities need a packing slip and carrier tracking. Food needs an agenda and sign-in sheet. Professional services need a scope of work, service dates, and a sign-in sheet.
Invoice questions: [email protected].
Common mistakes
Stopping after PASSPort. It doesn't put you on the DOE bidders list.
Using a personal email or a single admin. When that person leaves, you lose access to your own account.
Subscribing to every notification category. Choose the ones that match what you sell.
Delivering before you have a Certified PO. You will not be paid.
Letting disclosures go stale. File a Change Request when anything changes.
Checklist
☐ EIN, state registration, and (for nonprofits) Charities Bureau registration
☐ PIP account active, vendor code saved, direct deposit enrolled
☐ NYC.ID created
☐ PASSPort account approved, with two Vendor Admins
☐ PASSPort status: Filed
☐ Commodities and certifications entered
☐ NYCPS Vendor Portal registered with the right categories
☐ Procurement policy read
☐ Software compliance started (software vendors only)
☐ M/WBE certification applied for (City, State, or both) and disclosed in PASSPort
☐ First appointment booked with an APEX Accelerator
Need a hand?
Startup Advisory Group helps businesses and nonprofits get registered, then pursue the contracts that fit. We build the plan and stay to carry it out. If you'd like help getting set up, reply to this post or send us a note and we'll find a time to talk.
Sources: NYC MOCS Contracting Roadmap · NYC PIP · PIP Activation Quick Start Guide · Create a PASSPort Account · Complete the PASSPort Vendor Enrollment · NYCPS Contracts and Purchasing · LaGuardia APEX Accelerator