Doing business in Santa Fe

NOTE: Due to current budgetary constraints, as of September, 2009 Unsolicited Proposals will no longer be accepted until further notice.

Businesses and non-profits are key partners in developing Santa Fe’s economy.  Each year, we issue a request for proposals (RFP) for economic development services and projects which will improve the local economy.

If you have a great program or project that can’t wait, the City of Santa Fe’s Economic Development Division is always accepting unsolicited proposals.

Getting a license to do business in the City of Santa Fe is easy.  Click here for the details.  Other departments and divisions often issue RFPs as well.  See a complete list of the City’s current Bid and Contract Opportunities here.

Santa Fe has a vibrant and diverse businesss community.  Active business advocacy groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, Santa Fe Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Santa Fe Alliance provide valuable networking opportunities and facilitate communication with government organizations from the National Labs to local employment offices.  The Chamber has over 1200 business members, while the Alliance manages a public awareness campaign to encourage Santa Fe citizens and the organizations they work for to buy from locally owned businesses.  Businesses are often built by reputation and referral, where relationships are paramount and trust is built up transaction by transaction.   These business groups help build those relationships and facilitate the cohesion of Santa Fe’s business community.

A positive business climate is the result of a successful ongoing, defined partnership between public and private organizations. In Santa Fe we have developed this partnership over decades, even centuries. We are supported by New Mexico’s business-positive tax and incentive environment

As befits a town of its size, Santa Fe’s business community is tightly integrated and co-operative.  The largest employers – the State, the tourism and art businesses – tend also to be the largest purchasers of goods and services and these organizations often have aggressive ‘buy local where possible’ policies.  Another significant local source of business are the Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, both of which have extensive local procurement programs.

The City’s economic development efforts support a full spectrum of businesses, and we especially focus on the success of five target sectors, media, ‘green’ business, technology, knowledge-based business and arts & culture.