How to Register as a Vendor in eVA (Virginia), Step by Step
eVA is Virginia’s central eProcurement marketplace, where state agencies, public universities, and many localities post solicitations and pay vendors. Registering is free and makes your business visible to buyers and eligible for automatic solicitation notifications in your commodity areas. Registration is not complete until you submit a Commonwealth of Virginia Substitute W-9.
One eVA registration reaches 100+ Virginia agencies and universities at once, it is the step that turns "I want Virginia work" into "Virginia solicitations land in my inbox." You also need to be in eVA to be issued purchase orders and paid. Pair it with SWaM certification and you are fully set up to bid in Virginia.
How to register in eVA
- 1Gather your business information
Have your legal business name, federal tax ID (FEIN), contact and remittance details, and, if you have it, your SWaM certificate ready. You will also complete a Commonwealth of Virginia Substitute W-9, which eVA requires.
- 2Start your registration at eVA
Go to the eVA Register Now page and create your vendor account. eVA offers Basic and Premium service levels, both are free to register; the difference is in the optional tools and visibility features.
- 3Complete the Commonwealth of Virginia Substitute W-9
This is mandatory, your registration is not considered complete until eVA receives your Substitute W-9. It captures your tax identification and remittance information so agencies can pay you.
- 4Select your NIGP commodity codes
eVA uses NIGP commodity codes (not NAICS) to match you to solicitations. Choose every code that reflects the goods and services you actually provide, too few and you miss notifications; pick deliberately and broadly within your real capabilities.
- 5Set your notification preferences and submit
Turn on email notifications so eVA sends you matching solicitations automatically. Submit, and once your Substitute W-9 is processed your account is active and discoverable to Virginia buyers.
Document checklist
- Legal business name and federal tax ID (FEIN)
- Commonwealth of Virginia Substitute W-9 (required to complete registration)
- Business contact and payment/remittance information
- Your NIGP commodity codes (the categories of what you sell)
- SWaM certificate, if you have one (optional, but worth uploading)
Common mistakes that get applications bounced
- ×Not submitting the Commonwealth of Virginia Substitute W-9, without it, registration is never marked complete and you stay invisible to buyers. This is the single most common reason an eVA registration stalls.
- ×Selecting too few commodity codes, eVA notifies you based on these codes. Pick every code that matches your real work or you will simply never hear about relevant solicitations.
- ×Confusing the transaction fee with a registration fee, registering is free. eVA charges a transaction fee of 0.75% only on actual purchases (capped at $500/year for most vendors, and capped at $50/year for small businesses with annual revenue under $500K). It is deducted from your payment, never charged to bid or register.
- ×Skipping SWaM, eVA registration is not the same as SWaM certification. You can register without it, but uploading your SWaM certificate is what unlocks set-aside visibility, so get certified too.
- ×Letting your contact or remittance info go stale, outdated details mean missed notifications or delayed payment.
FAQ
Yes. Registering in eVA is free, and there is no annual renewal fee. eVA charges a transaction fee only on actual purchases, 0.75%, capped at $500/year for most vendors (or $50/year for small businesses with revenue under $500K), deducted from your payment, not charged to register or bid.
No. eVA registration and SWaM certification are separate. You can register in eVA without SWaM, but SWaM is what makes you eligible for Virginia set-asides, so most small businesses do both, and you upload your SWaM certificate to your eVA profile.
NIGP codes are the standardized categories eVA uses to classify goods and services. Virginia uses them (instead of NAICS) to match vendors to solicitations, so the codes you pick determine which opportunities you get notified about.
It is Virginia’s version of the IRS W-9, it captures your tax ID and remittance information. eVA requires it to finish your registration and to set you up to be paid.
Turn on email notifications during registration and keep your NIGP commodity codes accurate. eVA then automatically sends you solicitations that match your codes across Virginia state agencies, universities, and participating localities.
DuoGov tracks active DC/MD/VA solicitations nightly, search your trade and see what's open.
Browse opportunitiesThis guide is educational and explains the process in plain English, it is not legal advice. Forms and requirements change; always download the current version and confirm requirements at the official source.