How Iowa counties post bids (2026)
95 of Iowa's 99 counties (96%) don't use an online bid platform. They post bids on their own website, in the local newspaper or in Board of Supervisors agendas, where vendors who only watch bid portals can miss them.
- 99Counties
- 4 (4%)Use an online bid platform
- 95 (96%)No online bid platform
- 54 (55%)List a purchasing email online
Bid platforms used
Counties that use an online platform, by platform. Some counties use more than one.
| Platform | Counties | Share of Iowa counties |
|---|---|---|
| Bid Express | 1 | 1% |
| QuestCDN | 1 | 1% |
| BidNet Direct | 1 | 1% |
| Public Purchase | 1 | 1% |
Where Board of Supervisors agendas are published
Board agendas often show a purchase (approval to advertise, a budget amendment, an expiring contract) weeks before the bid is posted.
| Agenda system | Counties | Share |
|---|---|---|
| County website (documents) | 84 | 85% |
| Not found online | 8 | 8% |
| CivicPlus Agenda Center | 6 | 6% |
| Other systems | 1 | 1% |
Counties without an online bid platform
These counties post bids on their own website, in the newspaper or at board meetings. Each link shows where that county posts and who to contact.
- Adams County
- Allamakee County
- Appanoose County
- Audubon County
- Benton County
- Boone County
- Bremer County
- Buchanan County
- Buena Vista County
- Butler County
- Calhoun County
- Carroll County
- Cass County
- Cedar County
- Cerro Gordo County
- Cherokee County
- Chickasaw County
- Clarke County
- Clay County
- Clayton County
- Clinton County
- Crawford County
- Dallas County
- Davis County
- Decatur County
- Delaware County
- Des Moines County
- Dickinson County
- Dubuque County
- Emmet County
- Fayette County
- Floyd County
- Franklin County
- Fremont County
- Greene County
- Grundy County
- Guthrie County
- Hamilton County
- Hancock County
- Hardin County
- Harrison County
- Henry County
- Howard County
- Humboldt County
- Ida County
- Iowa County
- Jackson County
- Jasper County
- Jefferson County
- Johnson County
- Jones County
- Keokuk County
- Kossuth County
- Lee County
- Linn County
- Louisa County
- Lucas County
- Lyon County
- Madison County
- Mahaska County
- Marion County
- Marshall County
- Mills County
- Mitchell County
- Monona County
- Monroe County
- Montgomery County
- Muscatine County
- O'Brien County
- Osceola County
- Page County
- Palo Alto County
- Plymouth County
- Pocahontas County
- Pottawattamie County
- Poweshiek County
- Ringgold County
- Sac County
- Shelby County
- Sioux County
- Story County
- Tama County
- Taylor County
- Union County
- Van Buren County
- Wapello County
- Warren County
- Washington County
- Wayne County
- Webster County
- Winnebago County
- Winneshiek County
- Woodbury County
- Worth County
- Wright County
Questions
How many Iowa counties use an online bid platform?
4 of 99 (4%), based on FactWise's county-by-county research.
What is the most common bid platform for Iowa counties?
Bid Express, used by 1 counties.
Where do Iowa counties without a bid platform post bids?
On the county website, in a local newspaper and in Board of Supervisors meeting agendas.
Method and citation
We checked each county's official website, purchasing pages, bid platforms and board agenda systems. A county counts as using a platform when its own website points vendors to it. Counts are recalculated from our database every time this page loads; county pages link to the sources.
You're welcome to quote these figures. Please cite “FactWise, How Iowa counties post bids (2026)” and link to https://www.faircounty.com/reports/iowa-county-bidding-2026.