Business User’s Manual for the
New York State Contract Reporter
NYS' official source of contracting opportunities
Bringing business and government together
February 2, 2014
Business User’s Manual for the New York State Contract Reporter
NYS' official source of contracting opportunities. Bringing business and government together.
Page | 2
Contents
Contents
...................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Business User’s Manual for the New York State Contract Reporter ............................................................ 3
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Requirements ............................................................................................................................................ 3
How to Sign up For a Business Account .................................................................................................... 3
Twelve month confirmation ..................................................................................................................... 4
Site Navigation .......................................................................................................................................... 4
Site Resources ........................................................................................................................................... 4
Finding Opportunities ............................................................................................................................... 5
My Opportunity Profile ............................................................................................................................. 5
Searching NYSCR ads ................................................................................................................................. 5
NYSCR Daily Issues .................................................................................................................................... 6
Sharing an ad............................................................................................................................................. 6
Bookmarking Opportunities ...................................................................................................................... 6
Receive Update Notifications for an Ad .................................................................................................... 7
Search the Business Registry .................................................................................................................... 7
Events and Bulletins .................................................................................................................................. 7
Procurement Reports ................................................................................................................................ 7
NYS Contract Reporter Business Registry ................................................................................................. 8
Add your Business to the Business Registry ............................................................................................. 8
Logging into the Business Registry ............................................................................................................ 8
Adding Contractor Ads .............................................................................................................................. 9
Categories /Classifications (Reference) .................................................................................................... 9
Ad Types (Reference) .............................................................................................................................. 11
Business User’s Manual for the New York State Contract Reporter
NYS' official source of contracting opportunities. Bringing business and government together.
Page | 3
Business User’s Manual for the New York State Contract Reporter
Introduction
Welcome to the New York State Contract
Reporter, New York’s official website of state
procurement activity. All state agencies,
authorities, state universities and public
benefit corporations advertise bid
opportunities valued at $50,000 or more on
this website. In addition, many New York
municipalities, museums, libraries, and
elementary and secondary schools, as well
as eligible not-for-profits, advertise bid
solicitations on the NYS Contract Reporter.
In addition to bid advertising, the NYS
Contract Reporter offers free bid notification
service, plus a Business Registry resource
that lists companies doing business with
New York State. Prime contractors can use
the Registry to maximize their connections
to subcontractors and suppliers.
All NYS Contract Reporter services are free but you must register to access the site’s resources and sign
up for bid notification messages. You can also complete an expanded registration to add your company
to the Business Registry.
Requirements
Anyone can register with the NYS Contract Reporter. All services are free.
The NYS Contract Reporter website has been tested to work with IE 8.0 and above (compatibility view
disabled), Firefox, Chrome (latest version), and Safari. Cookies and JavaScript must be enabled.
Additional technical requirements can be found in the FAQs under Site Resources drop menu.
How to Sign up For a Business Account
Navigate to www.nyscr.ny.gov. Select Click here to get started. Select Create my account under
Business Entity Account. There are four steps to creating an account.
Step 1, Terms of Service: Read, and then
if appropriate, agree to the Terms of
Services by checking the confirmation
NYS Contract Reporter
A tutorial on
Business User Account Overview is
available in Tutorials!
Business User’s Manual for the New York State Contract Reporter
NYS' official source of contracting opportunities. Bringing business and government together.
Page | 4
box. Select Next.
Step 2, Create Login Account: Enter your email Address. Choose a Username and Password. Enter the
verification text. Select Next.
Step 3, Enter Account Information: Enter your name, contact information, and demographic information.
Select Submit.
Step 4, Send Activation Code: An activation code will be sent to the email you provided. Select the link
provided in that email and enter the provided Activation Code.
Once your account has been activated you will be able to log into contract reporter and start searching
for bid opportunities. Upon logging into your account for the first time, you should create an
opportunity profile, turn on eAlerts to receive daily email notifications of ads matching your profile and,
in not already listed, add your business to the business registry.
Twelve month confirmation
All NYS Contract Reporter users must confirm every twelve months that their account information is
correct and current. You will be prompted to review your account information 30 days, 7 days, and 1 day
prior to your account expiring.
Failing to log in and acknowledge that your account is current beyond the twelve month cycle will place
your account into an inactive state. An inactive account will no longer generate email alerts. Inactive
accounts may be deleted from the system after a period of time. You will need to contact the NYS
Contract Reporter to re-activate an expired account.
Site Navigation
Once logged in, the main drop menu
will be available. All available functions
are accessible from the main drop
menu. Navigation links to the left and
right of the page will change
depending on context.
Site Resources
Site Resources are available from the
main drop menu. Be sure to check back
regularly, as additional content will be
added as resources allow.
A number of Tutorials are available.
These short presentations explain
various features and functions of the NYS Contract Reporter.
Main drop menu / Site Resources drop menu
Business User’s Manual for the New York State Contract Reporter
NYS' official source of contracting opportunities. Bringing business and government together.
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A collection of Webinars are posted providing an overview of the various features and functions of the
NYS Contract Reporter.
A collection of Presentations are posted providing an overview of the various features and functions of
the NYS Contract Reporter website.
The FAQ question lists various Frequently Asked Questions.
Finding Opportunities
The NYS Contract Reporter provides a robust set of tools for finding the right opportunities for your
business.
My Opportunity Profile
Upon obtaining your account the first task you should accomplish is to define your Opportunity profile.
The sections of your profile include:
Categories: Select up to 16 categories/classifications in which you are interested. A listing of current (as
of publication of this document) categories/classifications can be found at the end of this manual.
Counties: Select either state wide or those individual counties for which you would like to receive ads.
Ad Types: Select the type of ads that would interest you. A listing of current (as of publication of this
document) ad types along with definitions can be found at the end of this manual.
eAlert Notification: Select Yes to receive eAlert notifications. If enabled, You will receive a daily email
listing all new ads posted to the NYS Contract Reporter that match the criteria you set up in in the
previous three sections.
These settings can be changed at any time from the Main Drop Menu. Select My Opportunity Profile
from the Manage Account drop menu. Make your changes and then select Update My Profile.
To ensure you receive all future NYS Contractor messages, you should adjust your security settings and
add www.nyscr.ny.gov as a Trusted Site. You
may need to have your IT staff assist you.
Searching NYSCR ads
Successfully logging into the NYS Contract
Reporter brings you to the My Home page. A
Business User’s My Home defaults to the search
results based on your opportunity profile. Your
search options are listed below:
Search open NYSCR ads: Enter a keyword into
the search field located on the top left. Select
Business User Home / Search Options
Business User’s Manual for the New York State Contract Reporter
NYS' official source of contracting opportunities. Bringing business and government together.
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the search button or hit enter. Keyword searches are performed within ad titles, descriptions and
contract numbers.
Advanced Search: Selecting this displays the Advanced Search, Open Ads options in the center of the
page. You can refine your results by Search Term, Agency, Classification, Categories, County, Ad Type,
and MBE/WBE/DBE Contracting goals.
Search the Archives: This allows for searching archived ads only. It has the same utility as the Advanced
Search option, but adds a date range filter.
My Opportunities: Displays search results based on your opportunity profile. This is the same as
selecting My Home from the top menu.
My Bookmarked Ads: Displays the ads you have bookmarked. How to bookmark ads is described later in
this document.
Open Opportunities: Displays all open ads, without any filter constraints.
Recently Closed Ads: Displays all closed ads, listing the most recently closed first.
Quick Filters: Additional filters are available on the left side. Selecting checkboxes will constrain your
results to those items selected. Filters available include: Show todays ads only, Classifications,
Categories, Location, and Ad Type.
NYSCR Daily Issues
The NYSCR Daily Issues is a pdf document published once a day. It contains a listing of all ads published
on the day of issue. The NYSCR Daily Issues for the last three weeks are available on the right side when
using the search utilities. Simply select a specific day and your browser can display or download the
document.
Sharing an ad
To share an ad with another person select
Share this ad to the right of an ad listing. This
opens the Share this ad dialog. You can either
copy the provided link and email it to another
person using your own email software or fill
out a form and have the NYS Contract Reporter
send an email with a link to the ad.
Bookmarking Opportunities
Bookmark an ad by selecting the Bookmark this ad located to the right of an ad. Select Yes to the
bookmark confirmation dialog.
Sample Ad
Business User’s Manual for the New York State Contract Reporter
NYS' official source of contracting opportunities. Bringing business and government together.
Page | 7
View bookmarked ads by selecting My Bookmarked Ads located on the left side of the Search Screen.
Remove ads from you bookmark list by selecting Remove bookmark, and selecting Yes to the
confirmation dialog.
Receive Update Notifications for an Ad
Add an ad to your notification list by selecting the Send me notification updates on this located to the
right of an ad listing. Select Yes to the confirmation dialog. You will now receive an email notification
when content or the status of this ad changes.
To view a listing of ads you have selected for notification, select My Ad Notifications from the Manage
Account drop menu. Ads can be removed from this list by selecting Remove update notification for this
ad located to the right of each ad and then selecting Yes to the confirmation dialog.
Search the Business Registry
Select Search the Registry from the Business Registry drop menu. The default listing applies no filter
restrictions, resulting in all business to be listed. Search filter options include:
Search term: Enter text to search company name and bio.
Classifications Filter: Select any combination of Commodities, Consulting & Other Services, Construction
Professional Services, or Construction.
Categories Filter: Select any combination of NYSCR Categories.
County Filter: Utilizing our interactive map, choose which counties you prefer.
2012 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Codes: Using the NAICS search utility, select
the code numbers you want included.
Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) Codes: Using the CSI search utility, select the Division you
want to include.
MBE/WBE/DBE Filter: Select to include business that help fulfill Minority, Women and Disadvantage
goals.
Events and Bulletins
Events and Bulletins posted by government entities are listed on the right side throughout much of the
site. Events and Bulletins can also be view by selecting Events or Bulletins from the Notices and Reports
drop menu.
Procurement Reports
State Agencies, SUNY & CUNY Campuses, NYS Public Authorities and Benefit Corporations are required
to submit reports of projected procurements on a quarterly and semi-annual basis. These reports
Business User’s Manual for the New York State Contract Reporter
NYS' official source of contracting opportunities. Bringing business and government together.
Page | 8
contain forecast procurements between $5,000 and $50,000 quarterly and over $200,000 semi-annually
classified by NYS Contract Reporter contracting categories.
Projected Procurement Reports can be accessed by selecting Procurement Reports from the Notices
and Reports drop menu. Reports are divided into Quarterly and Semiannual, sorted by date. Selecting a
date range displays Projected Procurement Report for that date range.
NYS Contract Reporter Business Registry
The Business Registry is a listing of businesses seeking government contracts in New York. Agencies use
this listing when seeking providers. Businesses also use this as a resource when developing relationships
between companies and when seeking subcontracts on government projects.
The Business Registry account is a company account, rather than an individual account. All users from a
company will use the same username and password to access this account. The Business Registry
account holder is responsible for determining who has access to the account. A NYS Contract Reporter
business account is required in order to access a Business Registry account.
Add your Business to the Business Registry
Select Join the Registry from Business Registry drop menu.
The registration process begins with an
introduction to the Business Registry. It
also reviews the requirements for
registering your business. Read this
section carefully before starting. Make sure that:
You are authorized to register your company with the NYS Business Registry
Your company is eligible to do business with NYS agencies
You have your company’s DUNS number
You have your company’s NAICS codes
If applicable, you have your company’s CSI codes
The rest of the process you will request information describing your company. Supply as much
information as you can. You company profile will help agencies and other business find your company.
This listing is a first impression of your business, so be sure your company profile is accurate and error
free. To help others find your business, be sure to include important key words in your company
description. Update your company profile when circumstances in your company change.
Logging into the Business Registry
Select Login to the Business Registry from the Business Registry drop menu. Supply your company’s
username and password. Select Login. Your company Dashboard will be displayed, showing current
company ads.
A tutorial on How to place my company in
the NYS Business Registry is available in
Tutorials!
Business User’s Manual for the New York State Contract Reporter
NYS' official source of contracting opportunities. Bringing business and government together.
Page | 9
Adding Contractor Ads
Companies listed in the Business Registry can
place ads to subcontract portions of government
contracts. From the Company Dashboard select
Enter new ad. This starts the 8 step process to
placing a new ad.
Along with basic information and a description of your opportunity, you will need either the CR Number
from the ad associated with this contract, or the agency contact information that will be used to confirm
that this opportunity is from a government contract.
Ads are saved once started, and do not need to be completed in one session. Incomplete ads are
accessible form the company Dash by selecting Incomplete Ads.
Once submitted, your ad may take up to 5 business days to approve. An email will be sent to you
notifying you of the status of your ad. Once approved, the ad will be published the next business day.
Ads pending approval can be further edited. Once published, an ad cannot be changed.
Categories /Classifications (Reference)
Below is the current listing of Categories / Classifications utilized in the NYS Contract Reporter.
Category / Classification
Description
Commodities
/Equipment
Consulting
and other
Services
Construction
Professional
Services
Construction
Administrative &
Technical
General Consulting, training, research, evaluation,
temporary labor (not IT or medical temp staff),
translation, hearing reporting, insurance
X
X
Agriculture, Forestry,
Gardening, Landscaping,
lawn maintenance and
Snow Removal
Animal feed, farming, plants, tree trimming or
removal, sod or lawn placement or maintenance,
plowing, shoveling or snow blowing services or
equipment
X
X
Advertising, Graphic Arts,
& Marketing
Direct media buying, sponsorships, graphic arts
(also see photography & videography)
X
X
Apparel, Textile & Leather
Clothing, fabric, notions, drapery, upholstery, re-
upholstery
X
X
Architectural, Engineering
& Surveying
Architectural, Engineering & Surveying services or
equipment
X
X
X
Construction, Horizontal –
Highways & Roadways;
maintenance, repair &
new construction
Highway, roadway, bridges, construction &
maintenance, repair & materials: paving, striping,
curbing aggregate, pipe, culvert, concrete, parking
lots, paving and sidewalks
X
X
X
X
A tutorial on
How to place a contractor ad
is available in Tutorials!
Business User’s Manual for the New York State Contract Reporter
NYS' official source of contracting opportunities. Bringing business and government together.
Page | 10
Category / Classification
Description
Commodities
/Equipment
Consulting
and other
Services
Construction
Professional
Services
Construction
Construction, Vertical –
Building construction;
rehabilitation & new
construction
Building Construction, rehabilitation, & major
system rebuilds, including construction,
demolition, major repair or replacement of
structures and structural systems: HVAC,
electrical, roofing, elevators, (For routine repair
and maintenance use Facilities- Repair &
Maintenance
X
X
X
X
Educational &
Recreational
Educational related supplies and consulting,
training, assessment, curriculum, research,
recreational, and educational equipment and
supplies
X
X
Environmental
Environmental testing, air quality, brownfields,
environmental remediation, lead, asbestos or
other testing, asbestos removal
X
X
X
X
Facilities, Maintenance,
Repair & Building
Operations
General facility maintenance: pest control,
janitorial, painting, small repairs, lighting, and
rubbish removal
X
X
X
X
Financial
Includes: banking, bank card services, leasing,
accounting, collection and auditing service
X
X
Food, Beverages,
Commissary, Vending
Bulk food, grocery, commissary, sundries, related
equipment and vending machines
X
X
Freight, Moving &
Warehousing
Hauling, moving, long & short term storage,
relocation
X
X
Fuels & Lubricants
Heating oil, gasoline, gasohol, bulk delivery, fleet
purchasing cards
X
X
Information Technology
Software, hardware, IT services, training, IT
security, peripherals, AV equipment, IT consulting,
storage, cloud computing, hosting services, web
design, project management, security systems
(also see Telecommunications)
X
X
X
X
Legal & Investigative
Services
Legal, investigative, fraud detection
X
X
Medical/Laboratory
Equipment
Laboratory equipment, scientific equipment,
medical equipment
X
X
Medical/Health Care
Medical supplies, health services, prescription
drugs, pharmaceuticals, OTC drugs, vitamins,
vaccines, hospital services, claims processing,
Physician/Nursing/health care services, health
care consulting, laboratory services
X
X
Miscellaneous
Not otherwise classified
X
X
X
X
Office Furniture, Supplies
& Equipment
Paper, toner, standard Office supplies,
photocopiers, printers, fax machines, maintenance
X
x
Photography & Video
Photography, video production, training films,
microfilm & microfiche (also see Advertising,
Graphic Arts, & Marketing)
X
X
Printing
Business forms, cards, envelopes, letterhead,
copy services, distribution, mailing
X
X
Business User’s Manual for the New York State Contract Reporter
NYS' official source of contracting opportunities. Bringing business and government together.
Page | 11
Category / Classification
Description
Commodities
/Equipment
Consulting
and other
Services
Construction
Professional
Services
Construction
Real Property, Office,
Hotel,
Conferences/Meeting
Space
Broker services, office leasing, conference
X
Safety & Security
Security guards, first responder supplies and
equipment, security systems, police & fire
equipment
X
X
Telecommunications
Telephone communications, radio
communications, cellular, pagers (also see
Information Technology)
X
X
Transportation, Bus, Rail,
Marine & Aviation
Mass or specialized transportation related
construction, consulting, supplies & equipment
including, buses, aviation, trains, planes,
helicopters
X
X
X
X
Utilities
Electricity, natural gas, propane, water, sewage
X
X
Vehicles & Equipment
Fleet Equipment & Services - Automobiles &
trucks, heavy equipment including: dump trucks,
plows, truck attachments such as salt spreaders,
front end loaders, backhoes, pavers, road graders
X
X
Ad Types (Reference)
Below is the current listing of Ad types utilized in the NYS Contract Reporter.
Ad Type
Description
General solicitation
General solicitations are for procurements valued at $50,000 or more that have not been identified as
discretionary.
Discretionary procurements
less than $50,000
Agencies are not required to advertise procurements of less than $50,000. However, the NYSCR permits
agencies to advertise these purchases without adhering to general advertising requirements.
Discretionary procurements
between $50,000 and
$200,000
Agencies are required to advertise discretionary procurements between $50,000 and $200,000.
Notice of sole/single source or
procurement exempt from
advertising
Under certain documented circumstances, a state agency may determine that the goods or services
needed are available only from a sole vendor or a single vendor among several.
Continuous procurement
solicitation
Agencies may have ongoing needs for particular goods and services, and are continually soliciting for
those needs.
Requests for information (RFI)
and Requests for Comment
(RFC)
Agencies seeking information from the vendor community will issue an RFI or RFC to elicit information
and/or comments.
Grant or notice of funds
availability
Certain agencies and authorities offer grants or other funds to businesses or communities.
Business User’s Manual for the New York State Contract Reporter
NYS' official source of contracting opportunities. Bringing business and government together.
Page | 12
Ad Type
Description
Announcement of surplus
property disposal
Certain authorities and municipalities may offer their surplus property through the NYSCR.
