The city of St. Cloud will launch a new online vendor registration and solicitation notification system called VendorLink that will be accessible beginning Oct. 1.

VendorLink allows vendors to view and download solicitations at no cost, 24 hours a day, seven days a week from any computer with Internet access.

“Vendors must first register to access current solicitations on VendorLink,” the city Purchasing Manager Bridget Pell said. “Solicitations are matched with vendors categorized by the specific commodity or service offered and vendors are notified of upcoming opportunities.”

Vendors also may request bid documents via e-mail from the Division of Purchasing and Materials Management at purchasing@stcloud.org or by calling 407-957-7212.

Vendors may register for this free service at http://www.evendorlink.com or by going to www.stcloud.org, clicking on Purchasing on the left-hand side of the city’s homepage then the access link for “VendorLink.”

Solicitations will continue to be available online through DemandStar.com and will be published in local newspapers, posted outside of St. Cloud City Hall in the Public Notice Display and in the Division of Purchasing and Materials Management, located in City Hall, 1300 9th St., Building B, third level.

For more details, contact the Division of Purchasing and Materials Management at 407-957-7212.

Vendor fair set for Tuesday

Turner Construction Company, which is providing construction manager at risk services for the city of St. Cloud’s Nolte Road Extension Project, will host a vendor fair relating to the roadwork from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday at the St. Cloud Marina Banquet Hall, 1104 Lakeshore Blvd.

The vendor fair will include a short presentation at 6 p.m. The purpose of the fair is to solicit qualified Osceola County subcontractors for the construction of Nolte Road, a three-mile, four-lane, divided arterial roadway in St. Cloud. Construction will begin in the October/November time frame with an expected project completion in the spring of 2012.

The project includes survey, clearing and grubbing, dewatering, erosion control, demolition, maintenance of traffic, earthwork, stormwater, potable water, reclaimed water, curb and gutter, signage, stripping, signalization, sidewalks, asphalt and other supporting disciplines. Turner representatives will be available to answer questions about the project and the prequalification process.

For maximum benefit, interested subcontractors should bring the following:

• Company résumé (including financial information, project history, bonding capacity, safety record, and any other applicable information)

• Prequalification statement that can be found at www.turnerconstruction.com.

If you have any questions prior to the event, contact Jon Anderson at 407-931-0090.

Business Incubator to host open house

The University of Central Florida Business Incubator-St. Cloud will host an open house for Entrepreneurs from 5-6:30 p.m. Wednesday at its new facility at 3201 Budinger Ave. in St. Cloud’s Stevens Plantation.

The purpose of the open house is to introduce the UCF Business Incubation Program to prospective start-up businesses, as well as established small businesses that need assistance in growing to the next level.

Jim Bowie, site manager at the UCF Business Incubator-St. Cloud, said seven companies have been accepted into the St. Cloud Incubator this summer. Bowie said the facility can currently accommodate as many as 30 clients.

Directions can be found at: www.incubator.ucf.edu/Locations/stcloud.html

For more information, contact Bowie at 407-498-0432 or jabowie@mail.ucf.edu; or Gordon Hogan, Director of Operations, UCF Business Incubation Program, 407-882-1157 or bizdev@mail.ucf.edu.