How to Register as a Vendor in Hawaii

What it's for

HIePRO is the State of Hawaii's online system for small purchases, bids and proposals from executive-branch agencies. You need a HIePRO vendor account, which runs on a free eHawaii.gov login, to submit quotes and bids online. Notices from HIePRO are also copied to HANDS (Hawaii Awards & Notices Data System), which carries some notices that are not in HIePRO.

Have this ready

• An email address for your eHawaii.gov single sign-on account (free)
• Legal business name, FEIN/EIN (or SSN for sole proprietors) and a W-9
• Business registration with the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), if it applies to your business
• Hawaii tax ID (Department of Taxation) and good standing with IRS, DOTAX, DLIR and DCCA, because Hawaii Compliance Express checks all four
• Contact person, phone, mailing address
• A list of the goods or services you sell, so you can choose categories (HIePRO's category system could not be confirmed from the pages reviewed)

Steps

1. Go to the HIePRO vendor page (hiepro.ehawaii.gov/vendor.html) and download the official Vendor Registration Guide and Vendor Quick Reference Guide.
2. Log in with your eHawaii.gov account, or create one. The account is free and uses single sign-on.
3. Finish the HIePRO vendor registration using your business details, following the Registration Guide.
4. Search open solicitations on the public HIePRO search page. Log in to respond, ask questions or view bid abstracts.
5. Register separately with Hawaii Compliance Express (vendors.ehawaii.gov/hce). You need a current Certificate of Vendor Compliance before you can be awarded a contract (HRS 103D-310(c)).

After you register

• Keep your eHawaii.gov login and HIePRO profile up to date, especially your contact email.
• HCE service lasts one year. It emails you when your compliance status changes and lets agencies pull your certificate whenever they need it. Renew it every year.
• If you win an award, pay the 0.75% Tyler Hawaii fee within 30 days.
• Also check HANDS (hands.ehawaii.gov) for notices posted outside HIePRO.

Watch out for

• Award fee. Registering is free, but winning a HIePRO award costs 0.75% of the award, capped at $5,000. Build it into your price.
• HCE fee. HCE costs $12 per year and is separate from HIePRO. A tax or labor compliance problem can hold up an award.
• Construction and DOT. No separate state construction portal was found, and construction solicitations appear in HIePRO/HANDS. Where Hawaii DOT posts was not confirmed. The Judiciary and the counties buy on their own.
• Paid services. Registration is free. You don't need a paid third-party "registration service" to sign up.
• Technical help: (808) 695-4620. State Procurement Office: 808-586-0554.

Certifications and bid preferences in Hawaii

• Hawaii procurement preferences (Hawaii products, printing, taxpayer, reciprocity) under HRS 103D

Standard bid forms for Hawaii

These are the forms bidders are most often asked to sign or attach on Hawaii state bids. Each bid lists exactly which ones it needs, and many agencies attach their own copies, so always use the version in the bid documents when there is one.

Sources

• hiepro.ehawaii.gov/faq.html
• hiepro.ehawaii.gov/vendor.html
• hiepro.ehawaii.gov/sav-search.html
• spo.hawaii.gov/blog/faqs-a/what-is-hawaii-compliance-express/
• vendors.ehawaii.gov/hce/
• hands.ehawaii.gov/

FindMyBids isn't affiliated with any government agency. Registration is free or low cost on official sites; you don't need to pay a third party. Always follow the official portal's instructions.