Maryland DoIT becomes Marketplace.city’s first state customer

The Maryland Department of Information Technology subscribed to Marketplace.city’s Clearbox Source platform, making Maryland the company’s first state government customer. The move extends a tool already used by more than 130 local governments into statewide technology planning and procurement.

Why it matters: - Maryland’s adoption signals that government technology procurement tools built for cities and counties can scale to state-level buying. - The move could help the Maryland Department of Information Technology validate needs earlier, widen vendor competition and speed up digital service delivery. - Marketplace.city said the subscription expands Clearbox Source’s reach beyond local government into statewide planning and procurement.

What happened: - Marketplace.city announced that the Maryland Department of Information Technology subscribed to Clearbox Source earlier this year. - The agreement makes Maryland Marketplace.city’s first state government customer. - The platform is already used by more than 130 cities, counties and special districts, including Cook County, Illinois; Alexandria, Virginia; Los Angeles; and Pittsburgh.

The details: - Clearbox Source provides public-sector teams with real-time market research on more than 12,000 technology companies across more than 400 market landscapes. - The platform includes hundreds of thousands of purchases, plus solution details, pricing, transaction data, case studies and references. - Agencies use the data across planning, budgeting, solicitation development, sourcing, price validation and contract structuring. - Maryland Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer Melissa Leaman said the tool gives DoIT visibility into proven government technology solutions and helps the team streamline solicitations. - Leaman also said Clearbox Source puts product features, pricing and contract data in one place so state teams can scope projects more quickly and direct technology spending toward higher value. - Marketplace.city says the platform helps agencies broaden vendor pools and increase competition. - The company says the data can help governments find better solutions at lower prices.

Between the lines: - Maryland’s deal suggests state agencies face the same procurement pressures as smaller governments: limited staff time, fast-changing vendor options and pressure to show value to taxpayers. - CEO Chris Foreman framed the state deal as evidence that data-driven procurement works at every level of government. - The announcement also positions Marketplace.city as a neutral research layer for public-sector buyers, not just a local-government tool.

What’s next: - Maryland is expected to use the platform to support statewide technical solutioning and sourcing. - Leaman said the state wants a more modern, transparent and agile technology acquisition system. - State agencies will use the platform to navigate commercial software options, assess solution fit and deliver services across Maryland. - Any state or local government employee can create a free Starter account with a government email address on Marketplace.city to join the network.

The bottom line: - Maryland’s subscription marks a notable expansion for Marketplace.city and a test case for whether local-government procurement intelligence can improve state purchasing at scale.