Become a Supplier

Step 1

Provide financial information as specified in the Supplier Aggregation Service Agreement Creditworthiness Standards, including:

• Most recent complete annual audited financial statements and un-audited quarterly financial statement
• Dun and Bradstreet credit report
• Credit and/or Business reference contacts
• Exact legal name
• Corporate Papers
• Articles of Organization
• Certificate of Authority
• SS-4
• W-9

Step 2

Submit appropriate fees

• Submit $150.00 for Choice program credit evaluation fee

Please contact the Transportation Support Services Team at transportevaluations@nisource.com for accepted forms of payment.

Step 3

Complete and submit forms and agreements

• NIPSCO Choice Supplier Information Form
• Indiana Choice Tax Remittance Authorization
• Supplier Aggregation Service Agreement
• ACH Form
• W9
• All new written marketing materials, including direct mail solicitations and outbound telemarketing scripts, as well as material revisions to previously reviewed marketing materials, must be submitted to the NIPSCO for approval at least 10 business days prior to the marketing campaign month

Step 4

Undergo a UCC-1 search

If you're interested in becoming a Choice supplier, you will also undergo a UCC-1 search and will be required to amend any applicable liens in order to participate in the Choice Accounts Receivable Purchase Program. 

Step 5

Review credit evaluation results

Once the credit evaluation and UCC-1 search have been completed, you will be notified of the results and what (if any) collateral requirements are due and if any liens need to be amended.

All credit evaluations are good for 12 calendar months. If you fail to enroll Choice customers prior to the expiration of the 12 months, you will need to undergo a new credit evaluation and pay the applicable credit evaluation fee.

Step 6

Service Plans

In order to complete the set up for testing and production, we will need information regarding the type of service plans you are planning to use to bill your customers. Please provide a key contact person, and a representative from the Choice team will reach out to them to discuss the service plans options available.

Step 7

File Exchange

We conduct business with suppliers of natural gas through an encrypted file exchange. In order to become a supplier on our system, you must conduct system testing to ensure that the integrity of the system and customer data is safe and secure.

To move through the onboarding process, you must provide a key IT contact to conduct testing. Once the key contact has been received and the credit evaluation is complete, we will communicate the requirements and timeline of the required testing. Generally, the testing can take four to six weeks.

To participate in an upcoming file exchange testing, please submit your key IT contact information by the due date to start the process. Our testing due dates are listed below.

• January 2025: Submission due by January 6, 2025
• April 2025: Submission due by April 7, 2025
• July 2025: Submission due by July 7, 2025
• October 2025: Submission due by October 6, 2025

You can submit your information to transportevaluations@nisource.com.

*Testing takes place on a quarterly basis.

Step 1

Attend training

You must review our Choice Supplier training and attend a required touch point call with our Choice, Supply and Capacity and Nomination Specialists. During the call, team members will provide program updates and answer supplier inquiries.

Required touch point call will be held on the following dates at 9 a.m. ET:

• January 8, 2025
• April 8, 2025
• July 8, 2025
• October 7, 2025

To participate in the required touch point call, send your request to Choice@NiSource.com. If, upon completion of the Choice Supplier training, you would like to submit a question via email in advance of the call, please direct all inquiries to the Choice Team.

Step 2

Be approved to deliver gas

You must secure access to the following pipelines:

• ANR Pipeline Company, 1-800-827-5267
• Crossroads Pipeline Company, 1-800-628-4867
• Natural Gas Pipeline Company, 1-713-369-6767
• Northern Border Pipeline Company, 1-832-320-5000
• Panhandle Eastern Pipeline Company, 1-800-225-3913
• Trunkline Gas Company, LLC, 1-800-225-3913
• Vector Pipeline L.P., 1-734-462-0232

Step 3

Submit documents

After securing access to the pipelines, you will need to submit the following documents electronically to your assigned Choice Specialist:

• NIPSCO Choice Asset Allocation Form
• Monthly Marketing Report is due no later than two business days prior to the subsequent calendar month and identifies the marketing type, specific geographic area door-to-door is to take place during that month, and specific outbound telephone numbers to be used for telephonic marketing during that month. All new written marketing materials including direct mail solicitations and outbound telemarketing scripts as well as material revisions to previously reviewed marketing materials must be submitted to the NIPSCO for approval at least 10 business days prior to the marketing campaign month.
• Monthly Pricing changes for Variable Service Plan values, and any Interstate Pipeline charges must be submitted no later than three business days prior to effective month.
• Customer Website Pricing of all Supplier offerings to be listed on the NIPSCO Choice customer website are due two business days prior to the subsequent calendar month.

Step 4

Obtain access to Energy Access Online

Energy Access Online is an interactive web-based application that serves as a repository for supplier and customer data and Choice Program documentation, and enables nominations and scheduling for the transportation of gas on our system and other essential tasks. 

• Energy Access Online New User Registration

Step 5

Enroll your customers via File Exchange

Once previous requirements are met, you may begin enrolling customers via File Exchange. The customer joins the appropriate supplier pool on the customer’s bill cycle day following the enrollment request.

Step 6

Review rules and regulations

You must adhere to the rules and regulations set forth in the Tariff.