Maricopa County held a Vendor University outreach event recently to show entrepreneurs how to register as county vendors and submit bids, and officials emphasized that small, local businesses can compete for parts of the county’s purchasing budget.

“Think your business is too small to land a county contract? Think again,” an event speaker said. Vice Chair Kate Brophy McGee described the program as a way to connect local firms with county opportunities: “Vendor University shows entrepreneurs how to get in the game from registering as a vendor to submitting winning bids,” McGee said.

Why it matters: County representatives at the event framed Vendor University as a way to broaden the pool of local vendors that deliver county services. One speaker referenced the county’s purchasing scale, saying, “They can get a part of that $750,000,000 that we're spending in that we really do need their partnership to deliver services.”

Participants described practical takeaways. A participant said, “The best thing that I got out of it was the the bid website. So I'm looking forward to setting up a profile, putting in, you know, what we offer and then reviewing the the various opportunities.” Officials also emphasized county support for local businesses: “We treasure our constituents, our local businesses, and we will do everything we can to help and support them in their path to prosperity,” a staff member said.

No formal procurement decisions, motions, or contract awards were made or recorded at the event. The session functioned as outreach and training: presenters demonstrated steps from vendor registration to preparing bids, and attendees reported leaving with tools, strategies and confidence to pursue county work.

The county did not specify a schedule for follow-up outreach in the transcript supplied, nor did speakers provide a detailed breakdown of the $750 million figure beyond the quoted statement. Attendees interested in vendor opportunities should consult Maricopa County procurement resources for application deadlines and current solicitations.