Travis County — the essentials
- Where bids post
- BidNet Direct (Travis County page) + county Purchasing site
- How to submit
- Electronic bids through BidNet
- Registration
- Free — choose the "Limited" package
- BidNet support
- 800-835-4603
- Questions on a bid
- Use the solicitation's Q&A section
Travis County buys road and bridge work, facilities services, health and human services, technology, and supplies. The county transitioned its e-procurement from SAP Ariba to BidNet Direct, so if you registered under the old system, you'll need a current BidNet account to keep getting notices.
Where Travis County bids are posted
Open solicitations appear on the county Purchasing Office website and on the Travis County page on BidNet Direct, which is now the system of record for notifications and bid submission. The county also maintains a Pre-Qualified List (PQL) for certain categories of work — worth checking if your trade is eligible, since it streamlines future awards.
How to register (free)
Registration on BidNet is free if you pick the right package:
- Go to the Travis County page on BidNet Direct and start registration.
- Select the "Limited" package (the free tier).
- Choose Texas as your state, enter your business details, and finalize.
You'll then receive notifications of matching solicitations and any addenda. The county's Vendor Registration Guide and Supplier E-Bid Submission Guide walk through the screens; for technical issues, BidNet support is 800-835-4603.
One account, broad alerts. The free BidNet tier notifies you by category, which means a lot of irrelevant emails. That category-firehose problem is exactly what I'm building BidScout to fix: alerts filtered to what actually matches your services, not a commodity code.
Catch the Austin-area bids that fit
I'm building BidScout to read every new Texas solicitation and email you only the Austin-area work worth your time. Travis County portal coverage is next on my roadmap — join the waitlist now and you'll have it from day one.
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Tips for winning county work
- Re-register on BidNet if you only ever had an Ariba account — old registrations don't carry over.
- Ask questions in the official Q&A section of each solicitation; the buyer answers all bidders at once.
- Submit your e-bid early. Don't risk a last-minute upload against a hard deadline.
- Check the Pre-Qualified List to see if your category lets you skip straight to eligible status.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Travis County post bids now?
On BidNet Direct (the Travis County page) and the county Purchasing Office website. BidNet replaced the old SAP Ariba system.
Does BidNet registration cost anything?
No — the "Limited" package is free and gives you notifications and bid submission for Travis County.
How do I avoid the flood of irrelevant alerts?
BidNet notifies by broad category. For alerts filtered to only the postings that match your trade and service area, join the BidScout waitlist.