Using MatchMarket as a buyer

Posting an opportunity is the fastest way to reach qualified vendors - as soon as you publish, MatchMarket scores every eligible vendor and notifies the best fits.

1. 1

   Describe what you need

   Give it a clear title and description, the industry category, the parish, and your timeline.
2. 2

   Choose a fixed budget or open it to bids

   Pick "Fixed budget" to set a budget range yourself, or "Open to bids" to let vendors propose their own price when they express interest.
3. 3

   Add the details that help vendors decide

   You can include a cover image, a website link, contact details, contract length, and whether the work is recurring.
4. 4

   Set preferences (optional)

   You can prefer a minimum tier or specific certifications, and turn on "Require insurance" to flag any vendor without a current Certificate of Insurance. These shape how vendors are scored and shown - vendors can still express interest either way.
5. 5

   Save a draft or publish

   Not ready? Save it as a draft and come back later. When you publish, matching and notifications kick off automatically.

MatchMarket scores each qualified vendor against your opportunity so the strongest fits rise to the top. Scoring considers:

1. 1

   Industry match

   How closely the vendor’s categories match what you need - the single biggest factor.
2. 2

   Location

   Whether the vendor is in your parish.
3. 3

   Tier

   Verified (Tier 3) vendors rank highest, then Procurement Ready (Tier 2).
4. 4

   Certifications and profile completeness

   Preferred certifications and a fuller profile both raise a vendor’s score.

Beyond posting, you can browse vendors directly from Find Vendors. Filter to narrow the list and find exactly who you need.

1. 1

   Filter by tier, parish, business type, and insurance

   Narrow by Verified status, location, ownership classifications like minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, or disability-owned, and check "Insured only" to see just the vendors with a current Certificate of Insurance.
2. 2

   Read the vendor cards

   Each card shows the tier, primary industry, location, classifications, an "Insured" badge where applicable, a State Verified badge, and how complete the profile is.
3. 3

   Save your default view

   Set the filters you use most, then choose "Save as default view." Your saved filters load automatically every time you open the directory.

Connections is one inbox for every request - the connection requests you send and the interest vendors express on your opportunities, all in one place.

1. 1

   Incoming and Outgoing tabs

   Incoming holds vendors reaching out or expressing interest; Outgoing holds the requests you sent. Filter either tab by status - Pending, Connected, Declined, or Withdrawn.
2. 2

   Accept or decline right there

   Act on a request inline without leaving the page. Each card shows the vendor, their tier, their note, and their match score.
3. 3

   Group by opportunity to compare bids

   Turn on "Group by opportunity" to line up everyone who expressed interest on the same posting side by side. For opportunities open to bids, you see each vendor’s bid and a quick low / median / high summary, and you can sort by bid.
4. 4

   Spot vendors flagged as not insured

   If you required insurance, a vendor without a current Certificate of Insurance shows a "Not insured" flag so you can weigh it.

To protect vendors' privacy, you connect first - then you have two ways to reach them:

1. 1

   Send a connection request

   From a vendor’s profile, send a request and choose your intent - a quote, a general inquiry, or a partnership. Add a short message.
2. 2

   Contact details unlock on accept

   When a vendor accepts, any phone and email they chose to share become visible right on the accepted card, so you can reach them directly.
3. 3

   Or message them inside MatchMarket

   You can also message vendors in-app from the accepted request or their profile. Look for the "Message" button - your conversations live under Messages.

Messages keeps your on-platform conversations with vendors in one place - a list of conversations on the left, the full back-and-forth on the right. Start one from the Message button on a vendor’s profile or an accepted request.

You decide who can reach you here. In Settings, the Who can message me control lets you accept messages from anyone, only your connections, or no one. It only affects in-app messages - sharing your contact details on a connection is a separate setting.

After a vendor completes work for you, confirm the project from your Confirmationspage. Confirming does two things: it adds to that vendor's verified track record, and it strengthens the local vendor network SUSLA supports. It only takes a moment and it directly helps the businesses you work with.