How Minnesota counties post bids (2026)
65 of Minnesota's 87 counties (75%) don't use an online bid platform. They post bids on their own website, in the local newspaper or in Board of Commissioners agendas, where vendors who only watch bid portals can miss them.
- 87Counties
- 22 (25%)Use an online bid platform
- 65 (75%)No online bid platform
- 30 (34%)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 Minnesota counties |
|---|---|---|
| QuestCDN | 3 | 3% |
| County-run bid portals | 2 | 2% |
| DemandStar | 2 | 2% |
| Public Purchase | 1 | 1% |
| Ion Wave | 1 | 1% |
Where Board of Commissioners 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) | 36 | 41% |
| CivicPlus Agenda Center | 27 | 31% |
| Not found online | 9 | 10% |
| iCompass / CivicWeb | 5 | 6% |
| CivicClerk | 4 | 5% |
| Legistar (Granicus) | 3 | 3% |
| PrimeGov | 2 | 2% |
| Granicus | 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.
- Becker County
- Beltrami County
- Benton County
- Blue Earth County
- Brown County
- Carlton County
- Cass County
- Chippewa County
- Chisago County
- Clay County
- Clearwater County
- Cook County
- Cottonwood County
- Dodge County
- Faribault County
- Fillmore County
- Freeborn County
- Goodhue County
- Grant County
- Hubbard County
- Itasca County
- Jackson County
- Kanabec County
- Kandiyohi County
- Kittson County
- Koochiching County
- Lac qui Parle County
- Lake County
- Lake of the Woods County
- Le Sueur County
- Lincoln County
- Lyon County
- Mahnomen County
- Marshall County
- Martin County
- Meeker County
- Mille Lacs County
- Morrison County
- Mower County
- Murray County
- Nicollet County
- Nobles County
- Norman County
- Pennington County
- Pine County
- Pipestone County
- Polk County
- Pope County
- Red Lake County
- Redwood County
- Rock County
- Roseau County
- Scott County
- Sibley County
- Swift County
- Todd County
- Traverse County
- Wabasha County
- Wadena County
- Washington County
- Watonwan County
- Wilkin County
- Winona County
- Wright County
- Yellow Medicine County
Questions
How many Minnesota counties use an online bid platform?
22 of 87 (25%), based on FactWise's county-by-county research.
What is the most common bid platform for Minnesota counties?
QuestCDN, used by 3 counties.
Where do Minnesota counties without a bid platform post bids?
On the county website, in a local newspaper and in Board of Commissioners 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 Minnesota counties post bids (2026)” and link to https://www.faircounty.com/reports/minnesota-county-bidding-2026.