# Texas state bids: the ESBD and the CMBL

> Where Texas state agencies post bids, how to get on the state bidders list, and how Texas cities, counties and school districts differ.

Last verified October 2026. Page: https://victavio.com/learn/texas-esbd-and-cmbl

Texas runs its own purchasing system, separate from federal buying. Two names matter most: the ESBD and the CMBL.

## The ESBD: where state bids are posted

The Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD) is the state's public site for bid notices. Texas state agencies must post solicitations worth more than $25,000 there, and many local governments use it too.

- Anyone can search it. You do not need to log in.
- You can search by agency, keyword or NIGP code. Leave out the dash when you search by NIGP code.
- You do not submit bids through the ESBD. Each solicitation's documents explain how to respond.
- After the response due date passes, a solicitation may disappear from the ESBD until it is awarded.

## The CMBL: the state's bidders list

The Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL) is a database of vendors. When state agencies plan a purchase, they search the CMBL for vendors to invite.

- Registration costs $70 a year.
- You register on the Texas Comptroller's site and choose the NIGP codes for what you sell.
- Keep your email address current. Agencies use it to send you bid notices.

The CMBL is a Texas registration, separate from SAM.gov. SAM.gov is for federal work, and SAM.gov registration is free. You need it for federal offers, not for the CMBL.

## NIGP codes

Texas describes goods and services with NIGP commodity codes, written as a three-digit class and a two-digit item. Pick the codes that match what you really sell. Agencies find vendors by these codes, so they matter for Texas work much as NAICS codes do for federal work.

## Texas cities, counties and school districts

Local governments buy on their own, through their own portals, under their own rules.

- Since September 1, 2025, Texas cities and counties generally must use competitive procurement for purchases above $100,000, and school districts for purchases of $100,000 or more over a 12-month period. A buyer's own policy may set a lower amount.
- Below those amounts, local buyers often still ask for quotes.
- Never suggest splitting a purchase to get under a limit.
- Many school districts buy technology and other goods through cooperative purchasing contracts. To sell that way, you usually must first win the cooperative's own solicitation.
- Each local portal needs its own vendor account. Accounts are usually free.

## Form 1295 at signing

When a Texas government contract needs a vote of a governing body, or is worth at least $1 million, the business files Form 1295, the Certificate of Interested Parties, with the Texas Ethics Commission when it submits the signed contract. It is usually not needed at bid time.

## In Victavio

Victavio includes Texas state notices from the ESBD alongside federal notices from SAM.gov. Add Texas to your places in Settings, under Workspace, to see Texas matches. The Coverage page shows current counts.

## Official sources
- [Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD) search](https://www.txsmartbuy.gov/esbd)
- [Texas Comptroller: purchasing outreach (ESBD and CMBL)](https://comptroller.texas.gov/purchasing/contact/outreach.php)
- [Texas Comptroller: Centralized Master Bidders List](https://comptroller.texas.gov/purchasing/vendor/cmbl/)
- [SB 1173 bill analysis, 89th Legislature (local competitive procurement thresholds)](https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/analysis/html/SB01173F.htm)
- [Texas Ethics Commission: Form 1295](https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/filinginfo/1295/)

This lesson is general information, not legal advice. Rules change. Check the official source before you act.
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