1 Register your business with the state Free
- Get your Business Registration Certificate (BRC) by filing NJ-REG with the Division of Revenue at njportal.com/DOR/BusinessRegistration. Registering for taxes is free.
- You do not need the BRC just to place a bid, but you must have it before you start any work on a public contract (per NJ Treasury).
- If you have not formed your entity yet: NJ formation filing is $100 as of July 1, 2026 (was $125), plus the $75 annual report.
2 Get certified; the fees are waived Free
- Small Business Enterprise (SBE) registration puts you in the pool for New Jersey's 25% small business set-aside goal. Register with the Division of Revenue's Small Business Enterprise Unit: NJ Small Business Set-Aside Program.
- MWBE, veteran-owned, disabled-veteran, and LGBTQ+ certifications run through the same Treasury Business Certification Program. Rule of thumb: 51% ownership plus real control of daily operations.
Money fact: the $100 certification application fee has been waived indefinitely by the NJ Treasury (verified July 2026). Certifying costs you nothing.
3 Register on NJSTART, the state's bid portal Free
- NJSTART is where the Division of Purchase and Property posts most state solicitations: RFPs, active contracts, and vendor records.
- Register as a vendor, pick your NAICS codes (the industry codes agencies use to find you), and turn on notifications for your codes.
- The bid flow: download the bid documents, read every requirement, prepare exactly what is asked, submit before the deadline.
4 Want federal contracts too? Register on SAM.gov Free
- Get your free Unique Entity ID (UEI) and register at SAM.gov; registration and renewal are always free.
- Check the SBA HUBZone map: HUBZone-certified firms tap a federal goal of at least 3% of contract dollars.
- Socially and economically disadvantaged owners: look at the SBA 8(a) Business Development program (9 years of sole-source eligibility and mentoring) via sba.gov.
5 Find the bids
- State: NJSTART solicitations (step 3).
- County and local: every one of NJ's 21 counties runs its own purchasing site; UCEDC keeps the full list on its Government Contracting Resources page. Your own county and town are usually the easiest first win.
- Port Authority of NY/NJ: its own procurement portal, plus supplier diversity certification.
- Federal: Contract Opportunities search on SAM.gov.
6 Get free coaching before you bid Free
- APEX Accelerators (the successor to PTAC): free one-on-one government contracting counseling. NJ hosts include NJIT and UCEDC.
- NJSBDC: free advising across 12 centers statewide, including proposal help.
- Project Spectrum: free cybersecurity assessments to meet federal contract security requirements (linked from the UCEDC resources page).
7 How small businesses actually win
- Write a one-page capability statement: what you do, NAICS codes, certifications, past work, contact. Agencies and primes ask for this first.
- Subcontract first. Large primes on big state and federal jobs need certified small business subcontractors to meet their own goals; that is often the fastest way in.
- Start local and small: county and municipal quotes under bid thresholds move fast and build past performance.
- Bid only on work you can actually deliver; one completed government job makes every next bid easier.
Official sources for this guide
- NJ Division of Purchase and Property: Small Business Set-Aside Program (25% goal)
- NJ Treasury: Business Certification Program (fee waiver)
- Business.NJ.gov: Government Contracting
- NJ DPP: Doing Business with the Division of Purchase and Property
- UCEDC: Government Contracting Resources (21 county portals, APEX, Project Spectrum)
- SBA: 8(a), HUBZone, and minority-owned business programs
Facts verified against the sources above July 20-21, 2026. Programs change; always confirm on the official page before relying on a number.