Key takeaways
- Cooperative contracts let agencies buy from a contract another public entity has already competitively awarded, skipping their own full bid.
- This directory covers 18 programs: national cooperatives such as Sourcewell, OMNIA Partners, TIPS and HGACBuy, state programs such as NASPO ValuePoint and Texas DIR, education cooperatives and GSA's program for state and local governments.
- Most programs are free for agencies to join. Vendors get on by responding to a program's solicitation and winning an award.
- An award makes you easier to buy from; it doesn't make anyone buy. Selling the contract is the vendor's job.
The directory
Filter by type or search. Each program links to its own site and to its vendor or solicitations page where one exists.
Showing all 18 programs
| Program | Type | Who can buy | How vendors get on |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Government Procurement Alliance (1GPA)Phoenix, ArizonaNonprofit governmental purchasing cooperative organized under Arizona law. | National cooperative | School districts, colleges, cities, counties, state, local and federal governments, tribal communities, fire districts and other political subdivisionsAgency membership: Free | Vendors respond to a 1GPA solicitation in their category; awards follow a lead agency model with approval by the lead agency's governing body. Vendor information |
| BuyBoard National Purchasing CooperativeAustin, TexasShares vendor resources with the Texas BuyBoard. | National cooperative | Governmental entities outside TexasAgency membership: Free | Vendors register with BuyBoard and submit proposals in response to its published proposal invitations. Vendor information |
| Choice PartnersHouston, TexasPurchasing cooperative of the Harris County Department of Education. | National cooperative | Schools, colleges, municipalities, counties, state agencies, other governmental entities and nonprofitsAgency membership: Free | Vendors respond to an RFP, RFQ or competitive sealed proposal; contracts are awarded by the HCDE governing board. Vendor information |
| Equalis Group | National cooperative | Government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofits and some private companiesAgency membership: Free | Suppliers must respond to and win a solicitation issued by one of Equalis Group's lead agencies. Vendor information |
| HGACBuyHouston, TexasProgram of the Houston-Galveston Area Council. | National cooperative | Local governments, states, state agencies and certain nonprofits that sign an interlocal contractAgency membership: Free | Suppliers respond to solicitations on HGACBuy's bid notices page; awards go to the H-GAC Board of Directors, and contracts run four years. Vendor information |
| Keystone Purchasing Network (KPN)Milton, PennsylvaniaProgram of the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit; formerly the Pennsylvania Education Joint Purchasing Council. | National cooperative | Public agencies such as school districts, charter schools, cities, counties, libraries and universitiesAgency membership: Free | Vendors register to receive bid notices and win a KPN bid; KPN awards to responsive bidders with the lowest and best prices. Vendor information |
| OMNIA Partners, Public SectorFranklin, TennesseeAcquired the National Cooperative Purchasing Alliance (NCPA) in December 2022; Region 4 Education Service Center (Texas) is one of its lead agencies. | National cooperative | Government agencies, school districts, higher education institutions and nonprofitsAgency membership: Free | Suppliers submit a supplier interest form and respond to an open RFP in their category; contracts are competitively solicited and publicly awarded by a lead agency. Vendor information |
| Purchasing Cooperative of America (PCA)TexasFunded by an administrative fee paid by awarded contractors. | National cooperative | Government agencies in all 50 states and US territories, educational institutions and nonprofitsAgency membership: Free | Vendors respond to PCA competitive solicitations; contracts are awarded by the awarding agency's board or council. Vendor information |
| SourcewellStaples, MinnesotaFormerly NJPA. A local unit of government under Minnesota statute. | National cooperative | Governmental, tribal, educational (K-12 and higher education) and nonprofit entitiesAgency membership: Free | Suppliers respond to Sourcewell's competitive sealed-proposal RFPs, published through its procurement portal and typically open for seven weeks; awards are ratified by Sourcewell's Board of Directors. Vendor information |
| The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS)Pittsburg, TexasManaged by the Region 8 Education Service Center in Texas. | National cooperative | K-12, charter schools, colleges, cities, counties, state agencies, emergency services districts and eligible nonprofitsAgency membership: Free | Vendors respond to a TIPS solicitation, meet the minimum score and are approved by the Region 8 ESC Board; TIPS says an awarded contract is the only way to sell through it. Vendor information |
| NASPO ValuePointOperated by the National Association of State Procurement Officials. States join contracts through participating addenda. | State contract program | All states, DC and US territories; each state decides which entities may use the contracts | Suppliers respond to a solicitation issued by a lead state with a multistate sourcing team; new suppliers generally aren't added during a portfolio's term, typically about five years. Vendor information |
| Ohio Cooperative Purchasing ProgramColumbus, OhioLets members buy from Ohio state contracts, including State Term Schedules. | State contract program | Ohio political subdivisions, school districts, libraries, state higher education institutions and certain fire and EMS organizationsAgency membership: Free | — |
| Texas DIR Cooperative Contracts ProgramAustin, TexasIT products and services, including cloud, software, hardware and IT staffing. | State contract program | Texas state agencies, local governments, K-12, higher education, out-of-state and other eligible customers | Vendors respond to DIR solicitations posted on the Texas Electronic State Business Daily and submitted through DIR's e-procurement system. Vendor information |
| Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies (AEPA)Bid nationally and awarded locally by member agencies in each state. | Education cooperative | Primarily K-12; many member state agencies extend contracts to higher ed, municipalities and nonprofitsAgency membership: Free | Vendors respond to AEPA's annual bids; each member state agency then issues its own award, typically for one year with up to three renewals. Vendor information |
| E&I Cooperative ServicesMelville, New York | Education cooperative | Education institutions (member-owned nonprofit cooperative)Agency membership: Free | Suppliers respond to competitive RFPs on E&I's sourcing portal; proposals are evaluated against the RFP criteria. Vendor information |
| Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC)Minneapolis, MinnesotaInterstate compact; sister compacts are NEBHE, SREB and WICHE. | Education cooperative | Higher education institutions in MHEC and sister-compact states; most technology contracts are also open to K-12 and local and state government | MHEC develops its contracts through a competitive RFP process. |
| BuyBoard (Texas)Austin, TexasA separate national program serves entities outside Texas. | Regional cooperative | Texas local governments and other political subdivisionsAgency membership: Free | Vendors register with BuyBoard and submit proposals in response to its published proposal invitations. Vendor information |
| GSA Cooperative Purchasing ProgramRun by the US General Services Administration. | Federal program | Eligible state and local governments, for IT and security and law enforcement-related products and services | Available through GSA Multiple Award Schedule contracts in the eligible IT and security categories; vendors cite their MAS contract number on state and local orders. Vendor information |
Mergers and name changes
- NCPA is part of OMNIA Partners. OMNIA Partners announced in December 2022 that it had acquired the National Cooperative Purchasing Alliance, which is now a wholly owned subsidiary; the former NCPA site redirects to OMNIA Partners.
- Region 4 ESC in Texas is one of OMNIA Partners' lead agencies.
- Sourcewell was formerly the National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA).
- Keystone Purchasing Network was formerly the Pennsylvania Education Joint Purchasing Council.
Choosing which programs to pursue
Start with where your buyers already shop. Ask current customers which contracts they use, check which programs cover your category, and look at who can buy from each one: a K-12-focused cooperative won't help much if you sell to counties. Our page on cooperative contracts by category shows which programs cover what, and our guide to cooperative purchasing explains how awards work and what to do after you win.
How KSG helps contract holders
Winning a cooperative award is the start. Kensington Sales Group's SDRs call the agencies eligible to use your contract, find the people who own the need and book meetings for your sales team, so the contract turns into purchase orders. See how our B2G lead generation works.
Sources
- Sourcewell: sourcewell-mn.gov
- OMNIA Partners: omniapartners.com
- NASPO ValuePoint: naspovaluepoint.org
- GSA Cooperative Purchasing Program: gsa.gov