SME online financier BlueVine is collaborating with GovQuote to help small businesses that serve state, local, and education (SLED) government agencies get the working capital they need.

“Our mission is to bring liquidity to the entire government procurement ecosystem, making it efficient and transparent, through the use of technology,” founder and CEO of GovQuote Jeff Rubenstein said. “It’s that simple.”

GovQuote is a free public procurement marketplace that helps connect the 90l000 state, local, and education government agencies that comprise the U.S. SLED market with small business vendors. The company’s platform provides an easy virtual environment where SLED agencies can get quotes from a database of thousands of SMEs competing for their business. Agencies can take advantage of GovQuote’s technology to get quotes in less than 60 seconds and a complete digital record for compliance.

The market for SLED agencies is sizable, but it is often a challenging one for SMEs. The procurement process can be long – with businesses waiting more than 90 days for payment on government-ordered goods and services. By providing funding for inventory, to hire additional staff, or to cover potential cash flow issues, BlueVine’s line of credit and invoice factoring offerings give SMEs options that allow them to compete confidently for SLED clients.

GovQuote’s partnership with BlueVine will be especially helpful for SMEs that have traditionally struggled to secure financing, Rubenstein said. Together, BlueVine and GovQuote will give these entrepreneurs what he called “the power to level the playing field in the government market and quickly get access to tailored funding solutions.”

BlueVine enables small business owners to get up to 95% of their invoice payment immediately, with weekly financing rates as low as 0.25%. Eligible borrowers can get advances of up to $5 million, with no funding minimums, and no cancellation or sign-up fees.

“The government and education market is growing, presenting many growth opportunities to small businesses,” BlueVine CEO and founder Eyal Lifshitz said. Underscoring the cash flow challenges that are a major obstacle for many SMEs that could otherwise compete in this market, he explained how BlueVine’s line of credit and invoice factoring offerings can make a difference.

“By combining the power and simplicity of GovQuote’s platform with on-demand financing options provided by BlueVine, we’re leveling the playing field for small business owners that serve state, local, and education agencies,” Lifshitz said.

BlueVine demonstrated its small business financing platform at FinovateFall 2014. The company made fintech headlines at the beginning of the year with news of its partnership with Bullhorn to help finance staffing companies. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, BlueVine has raised $590 million in funding, and includes Lightspeed Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures, 83 North, Credit Suisse, and M12 among its investors.

Online invoice factoring innovator BlueVine has teamed up with recruitment industry software provider Bullhorn to give the company’s SME customers better financing options. Bullhorn is a cloud computing firm that specializes in helping staffing and recruiting companies better serve SMEs. This new partnership will provide yet another way for the company to support the business growth of its clients.

“With BlueVine, firms can receive fast and flexible access to financing that can help them power their next phase of growth,” explained Bullhorn VP of Alliances and Business Development, Nina Eigerman. “At Bullhorn, our overwhelming focus is on helping our customers and providing them with an incredible experience as their long-term growth partners. This initiative delivers on that vision.”

BlueVine CEO Eyal Lifshitz said that the partnership with Bullhorn supports the company’s dedication to “providing working capital financing to business owners looking to simplify their cash flow and grow.” A challenge for staffing firms is that, after placing candidates, they are often required to cover payroll expenses for 30-60 days. To fund this requirement, staffing companies traditionally have relied on an array of banks, factoring companies, and payroll financing firms. This process can be expensive, time-consuming, and cumbersome.

In contrast, BlueVine offers factoring lines of credit up to $5 million, rates as low as 0.25% per week, swift approval of 24-48 hours typically, and the flexibility to choose which invoices are funded. No sign-up fees, monthly minimums or cancellation fees are required.

Mike Smith, Chief Talent Officer for CleverTerra, which uses both technologies, praised BlueVine and Bullhorn’s “streamlined solution.” He said, “I turned to BlueVine and quickly secured funds to cover payroll, smooth cash flow, and evolve my practice.” Smith called BlueVine “a great compliment to Bullhorn, which I rely on to effectively manage my day-to-day operations.”

Bullhorn was founded in 1999, and is based in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 900 employees, the company works with more than 8,000+ staffing firms via its cloud-based platform. Art Papas is founder and CEO.

Headquartered in Redwood City, California, BlueVine demonstrated its platform at FinovateFall 2014. Last summer, the company picked up a $12 million investment from Microsoft’s venture fund, M12, and the venture arm of insurance and financial services firm, Nationwide. BlueVine has delivered more than $1 billion in funds to 10,000+ small business owners since the company’s inception in 2013.

SME financing innovator BlueVine has partnered with cross border payments specialist Veem to make it easier for small business owners to save more on cross border payments.

“If you rely on your bank for sending cross border payments, you’re not alone,” BlueVine VP of Business Development and Partnerships Charles Amadon wrote in a blog post announcing the agreement. “Most smaller businesses do. But ask a small business owner about their experience making cross border payments through their bank and you’re likely to get an earful.”

Adding statistics to the pitch, Amadon pointed to an American Bankers Association payments survey that indicated that payments in general were a major pain point for SMEs. The survey showed that 87% of respondents said their bank did not have “a formal payment strategy,” and that 54% considered their bank’s attitude toward innovation in payments as a “wait and see approach.”

BlueVine offers small businesses financing options including an invoice factoring line of credit and a traditional business line of credit. The company’s invoice financing product provides a credit line from $20,000 to $5 million with flat advance rates of 85% to 90%, free ACH, and $15 per wire. The business line of credit provides a revolving financing option up to $200,000 with interest rates as low as 4.8%. SMEs can get approved as quickly as 24 hours.

For its part, Veem is announcing the partnership as an opportunity for its SME customers to get the kind of preferential financing options typically enjoyed by larger companies. “We’re partnering with BlueVine to provide fast and flexible working capital financing for Veem’s customers,” the company announced in a blog post. “Funding doesn’t have to be what sinks small businesses.”

Founded in 2013, BlueVine demonstrated its SME financing platform at FinovateFall 2014. The company began the year with a decision to increase the limit on its invoice factoring line of credit to $5 million. Also this year, BlueVine appointed Ana Sirbu, the company’s VP of Finance and Capital Markets, to the post of Chief Financial Officer.

Named one of the top 360 entrepreneurial companies in America by Entrepreneur magazine, BlueVine won Best Business Finance Provider, North America at the trade finance global awards last fall. Also in the fall, BlueVine picked up $130 million in debt financing courtesy of Silicon Valley Bank, SunTrust Bank, Bank Leumi, and TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corporation. The company has raised $318 million in total funding, and includes Fortress Investment Group, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures, and 83 North among its investors. Eyal Lifshitz is CEO.