Consortium & Cooperative Purchasing Groups
A Consortium is a formal organization, in which the members are active in the management of purchases. The member organizations conduct bids and proposals on behalf of the consortium. All members are then able to utilize the resulting contracts.
A Cooperative Purchasing Group is a profit or non-profit business that serves members in a single industry (ex. higher education). Co-op members play no role on the management of suppliers or contracts. Members can utilize any resulting contracts.
Texas Tech is a member of the following Consortium and Cooperative Purchasing Groups:
TCPN is a national governmental purchasing cooperative. The bids are conducted and awarded in compliance with purchasing procedures mandated by state procurement laws and regulations.
Website: http://www.tcpn.org
Here is a list of vendors whose products are available to TTU departments through our various consortium or cooperative agreements. Because the contracts with these vendors are pre-bid, there are no dollar limits on the purchase orders. If you are interested in establishing a purchase order using the special pricing available from a consortium or cooperative agreement, please contact Purchasing and Contracting at techbuy.purchasing@ttu.edu
HGACBuy is a "Government-to-Government" procurement service available nationwide. Governmental entities have been procuring products and services through HGACBuy for over 30 years.
Website: http://www.hgacbuy.org/
The BuyBoard was developed by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB).
The Local Government Purchasing Cooperative is an administrative agency created in accordance with Section 791.001 of the Texas Government Code. Its purpose is to obtain the benefits and efficiencies that can accrue to members of a cooperative, to comply with state bidding requirements, and to identify qualified vendors of commodities, goods, and services. The Cooperative also relieves the burdens of governmental purchasing by effectively using current technology and realizing economies of scale.
Website: http://www.buyboard.com/default.html
WSCA is an alliance of 15 states joining forces to get the quality goods and services at cost effective prices. This program focuses on state governments. Although Texas is not one of the original states forming WSCA, we are eligible for WSCA pricing.
Website: http://www.aboutwsca.org
US Communities is a nationwide purchasing cooperative designed to be a procurement resource for all government entities. The contracts focus on high use, high volume items and are competitively solicited.
Website: http://www.uscommunities.org
Provista is one of the country’s leading supply chain improvement companies. We connect more than 15,000 customers nationwide to the most competitive and extensive portfolio of products and services available to reduce supply costs, streamline procurement processes and maximize value.
Together with Novation, Provista’s supply contracting company, we leverage nearly $35 billion in annual purchasing power to command the best prices on top-name products and services. Look to Provista for customized, flexible purchasing and materials management solutions that give you a tangible edge and help you achieve your supply chain management objectives.
Website: http://www.provistaco.com/public/
E&I is a not-for-profit buying cooperative which provides goods and services to its members at the best possible value. The Cooperative is owned by its membership of more than 1500 tax-exempt colleges, universities, prep schools, hospitals, medical research institutions and hospital purchasing organizations located throughout the United States, including Texas Tech.
Website: http://www.eandi.org
DIR is an agency of the State of Texas. Among their varied responsibilities, DIR must negotiate volume purchase agreements for quality products and services. All Texas state agencies are eligible to use these agreements. The products on the DIR contracts are Technology and related systems products and services.
Website: http://www.dir.state.tx.us
TPASS is a division of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts whose primary responsibility is to provide goods, services, and facilities to the State of Texas. One part of fulfilling this responsibility is establishing term contracts available to all Texas state agencies.
TPASS also maintains the Texas Multiple Award Schedules (TXMAS); these contracts have been developed from contracts awarded competitively by the federal government or any other governmental entity of any state.
Website: http://www.window.state.tx.us/procurement/prog/txmas/
TIPS is sponsored by the Region VIII Education Service Center and is available for use by all public and private schools, colleges, universities, cities, counties, and other government entities in the State of Texas. TIPS has competitively bid their contracts, and has followed the HUB guidelines of the State of Texas.
Website: http://www.tips-usa.com
TAPS is a consortium of popular national vendors who agree to provide strong purchasing power to public and private schools, colleges, universities, cities, counties and other government entities in Arkansas and Texas.
Website: http://www.arsba.org/index.shtml
West Texas Educational Purchasing Cooperative is a cooperative made up of K-12 schools and Texas Tech University. All of the institutions are located in the West Texas region. The contracted vendors are also located in the West Texas region.
Website: http://www.arsba.org/index.shtml
First Choice is a non-profit Purchasing Cooperative that is owned by and operated for the benefit of all its members. Because FirstChoice Cooperative is owned by all its members and focuses solely on supply-chain functions, it is very unique and has no interest apart from reducing overall cost for its members and their customers while maintaining a high quality of products and care
Partners Cooperative offers quality, legal procurement and contract solutions to meet government purchasing requirements. Staff at Choice Partners complete the legal, competitively bid government procurement process so YOU can act immediately to access the contract YOU need, saving time and money on the bidding process and purchase.
Choice Partner includes
- • Facilities planning and facility contracts to meet needs for remediation, renovation and remodeling.
- • Supplies and service contracts, including a unique school supply catalog.
- • Food contracts for bread, dairy, grocery, produce and cleaning/ware washing products.
- • Technology products, cloud services, software, consulting and resources for today's electronic demands.
- • Choice Energy Partners provides energy contractors that help governmental entities exercise power over energy costs.
PACE (Purchasing Association of Cooperative Entities) Purchasing Cooperative was created to give cooperative members awarded contract tools to assist their entities in meeting bidding requirements and to save valuable staff resources, finding vendors to assist members in meeting their operation goals, and to save funds when obtaining best value supplies.
Website: http://www.pacecoop.org/
National Joint Powers Alliance® ® is a national municipal contracting agency committed to serving our Members purchasing needs. We are driven to provide efficient public service through our national contract purchasing solutions and other related programs. We are only able to do this as we work together, creating a unified purchasing alliance that is valued by both NJPA Members and contracted suppliers.
Website: http://www.njpacoop.org/
The ESC-Region 19 Purchasing Cooperative is a regional governmental purchasing cooperative which competitively bids and awards contracts to local, regional, and national vendors in compliance with local, state, and federal procurement laws and regulations. The ESC-Region 19 Purchasing Cooperative contracts are available to public schools, charter schools, private schools, community colleges, universities, cities, counties, other governmental agencies, and non-profits. No fees are charged to the ESC-Region 19 Purchasing Cooperative members. As a member, your entity deals directly with the vendor who can provide the goods and/or services you may require. The savings for members are realized through dealing with vendors who have been evaluated and verified to provide a quality product or service at a competitively bid price in compliance with bidding requirements.
Website: http://www.esc19.net/purchasing/
The Southeast Texas Purchasing Organization
Website: http://secure.esc5.net/awardedvendors/vendorsearch.lasso
TexBuy is a statewide purchasing cooperative hosted by Region 16 Education Service Center in Amarillo, Texas.
TexBuy is the Texas representative of the national purchasing organization AEPA (Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies). Many of the awarded contracts offered through TexBuy were solicited nationally by AEPA, providing the most
competitive pricing available.
Website: http://www.texbuy.net/
In 2004, the executive vice chancellor of health affairs had a vision of a joint purchasing initiative for UT System. Over the following two years of careful study and collaboration among the UT System health institutions, a conclusion was made that a dedicated team of professionals was needed to pursue the initiative.
In 2006, the initiative was adopted and incorporated into the UT System Strategic Plan 2006–2015, which was approved by the Board of Regents. The two objectives within the strategic plan that are directly related to this initiative are "Improving Health in Texas" and "Improving Productivity and Efficiency." These objectives stated that there should be expanded use of joint purchasing and that a framework should be in place by June 30, 2007
On July 1, 2007, the Strategic Sourcing Team was established; it commenced formal activities on September 1, 2007. This team is comprised of a dedicated staff of experienced supply chain professionals solely committed to the pursuit of UT System Supply Chain Alliance activities.
The UT System Supply Chain Alliance members are the UT System health institutions, which account for approximately two-thirds of UT System's annual operating budget. All UT System Supply Chain Alliance contracts are executed by UT System Administration and are available to UT System health institutions and affiliates.
The Western States Contracting Alliance (WSCA) was formed in October 1993 by the state purchasing directors from fifteen NASPO western states. The primary purpose of creating WSCA was to establish the means by which participating states could join together in cooperative multi-state contracting. This approach has helped states achieve cost-effective and efficient acquisition of quality products and services. Cooperative purchases are developed by member states. A "lead-state" model is used in undertaking cooperative multi-state contracts. There is no Vendor List.
Membership consists of the central procurement official that heads the state central procurement organization, (or a designee for that state), from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
All governmental entities within WSCA states as well as authorized governmental entities in non-WSCA states are welcome to use the approved agreements. Cooperative purchasing benefits states as well as cities, counties, public schools and institutions of higher education.