Explore the Cooperative Purchasing FAQs. You can learn about Equalis and the many ways we are different from other public sector cooperatives here, the types of members we serve here, our Lead Agencies’ procurement process here, our Lead Agencies here, our contract portfolio here, open and recent solicitations here, alignment with state statutes here, alignment with the federal government’s Uniform Guidance and EDGAR requirements here, how to register as a prospective supplier here, and how to join Equalis as a member here. There are no costs, dues, or obligations to join Equalis or purchase through any of our competitively solicited contracts.
If you have any other questions, please contact your Equalis Member Engagement Representative.
Common Questions: Cooperative Purchasing FAQs
Cooperative purchasing works by bringing together multiple organizations to combine their purchasing power for better deals on goods and services. The process involves a cooperative purchasing organization soliciting bids, evaluating proposals, awarding contracts to winning suppliers, providing those contracts to its members, and managing the contracts on behalf of its members. Members benefit from publicly procured, competitively solicited contracts that meet regulatory standards, reducing the need for individual procurement efforts. This collective approach ensures cost savings, time efficiency, and access to high-quality products and services, streamlining the procurement process for all involved entities.
There are numerous advantages of cooperative purchasing, including significant cost savings through bulk buying, time efficiency by reducing individual procurement efforts, and access to high-quality products and services. It ensures regulatory compliance and mitigates risks, while fostering resource sharing and strong vendor relationships. Cooperative purchasing agreements are flexible and scalable to meet specific needs. Some procurement professionals worry about losing control over their procurement choices – the key is that participating in cooperative purchasing agreements is an option, not a requirement, ensuring procurement professionals remain in control of their purchasing decisions without financial risk or loss of autonomy. By joining a cooperative purchasing organization like Equalis Group, members gain strategic advantages and streamlined procurement processes that enhance overall efficiency and effectiveness.
Cooperative purchasing differs from traditional procurement in that it involves multiple organizations pooling their buying power to secure better pricing, terms, and services through already-procured contracts sourced and managed by a cooperative purchasing organization. In contrast, traditional procurement involves individual organizations independently conducting their own competitive solicitation processes. Cooperative purchasing offers advantages such as cost savings, time efficiency, and access to high-quality products, while traditional procurement requires more resources and effort for each organization to achieve similar results.
Organizations can acquire a wide range of products and services through cooperative purchasing, including office supplies, IT equipment, maintenance and repair supplies and services, educational materials, healthcare products, transportation services, and construction supplies.
To participate in a cooperative purchasing program, your organization can join a cooperative purchasing organization like Equalis Group. Membership is free and involves no fees, dues, or obligations. Simply visit the Equalis Group website, complete the membership application, and start benefiting from cost savings, streamlined procurement processes, and access to high-quality, competitively solicited contracts that meet regulatory standards. Joining is easy and provides immediate access to the advantages of cooperative purchasing.
Typical savings through cooperative purchasing range from 10% to 30%, with some spending categories seeing savings of up to 40%. For example, schools and municipalities often report saving thousands annually on essential services and products by leveraging cooperative purchasing agreements.
Cooperative purchasing agreements ensure compliance with procurement laws by following a rigorous competitive solicitation process managed by a Lead Agency. Equalis Lead Agencies are public sector entities lawfully established and operating under the applicable statutes of their respective states. They are authorized by state statutes to conduct public sector procurement processes, award and enter into contracts with winning suppliers under applicable procurement guidelines, and make those contracts available to public agencies nationwide through Equalis. They ensure that the procurement process adheres to all relevant regulations and standards, providing transparency and compliance. The Lead Agencies partner with Equalis as the cooperative organization to manage vendor relationships, negotiate terms, and oversee contract administration, allowing Equalis members to benefit from pre-vetted, high-quality contracts without the need for individual procurement efforts. Equalis Lead Agencies’ central role enhances efficiency, cost savings, and access to superior products and services for all Equalis members. You will find information about each Equalis Lead Agency and their statutory authority here.
No. While both Equalis contracts and state term contracts provide public sector entities with a legal exemption from conducting their own procurement processes to purchase from an awarded supplier, Equalis contracts are cooperative agreements that are available to public sector entities nationwide, or at least in the geographic footprint served by the awarded supplier. State term contracts are only available as a legal exemption to agencies located in that particular state.
Common Questions: Membership
Join now and receive immediate access to our expanding portfolio of compliant, publicly procured contract vehicles. Equalis members: i) quickly acquire the products and services they need; ii) receive better pricing through the collective buying power of Equalis Group members; and, iii) save time through Equalis Group’s legal and compliant alternative to conducting their own resource-consuming solicitation process. Save time, save money, and stay legal with Equalis.
Your agency becomes an Equalis member by completing the member registration form here. Your membership is effective immediately; there is no approval process. You will immediately receive an email confirming your Equalis membership.
There is no catch. There is no cost to join Equalis Group, and there are no membership dues or obligations of any kind. Joining Equalis Group is like getting a library card – membership simply ensures your organization has access to our contract portfolio. You decide which contracts to utilize and when.
Equalis membership is available to federal, state, and local government agencies; public and private educational institutions, including K-12 schools, colleges, and universities; non-profit organizations; and private sector companies. Typically, any individual within an organization who is authorized to sign documents on behalf of the organization can complete the membership form without any formal board action, although approval requirements do vary from state to state.
Use our Member ID Lookup Tool here to find out if your organization is already an Equalis Group member and find your Member ID number.
Your membership agreement remains in effect unless you or a Lead Agency provides 30 days’ written notice of termination.
Please send any updates to ContactUs@EqualisGroup.org or contact your Member Engagement Representative.
Each Equalis member is assigned a dedicated point of contact. Find your Member Engagement Representative and their contact information here.
Common Questions: Procurement of Equalis Contracts
Our contracts are solicited and awarded by Equalis Lead Agencies in accordance with their respective state statutory procurement requirements. Solicitations include language clearly stating that awarded contracts will be made available to public agencies across the country. The same language is included in the contracts established between the Lead Agencies and awarded suppliers. The inclusion of this language is what makes Equalis contracts viable in all 50 states. Learn more about our Lead Agencies’ procurement process here.
Equalis Group’s Lead Agencies follow a three-pronged approach to compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory procurement requirements. First, each Lead Agency’s solicitation process meets the statutory requirements to which a Lead Agency is subject in its own state. Second, the Lead Agencies and Equalis Group’s Procurement Team have identified and incorporated additional statutory requirements that apply in certain other states, such as New Jersey’s supplier disclosure requirements and publication requirements in Arizona, Utah, and Oregon. Third, the Lead Agencies designed their solicitation and contract award process to meet the federal government’s Uniform Guidance requirements defined in 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.
Each state has adopted statutes that authorize cooperative purchasing in some way, whether explicit language authorizing participation in cooperative purchasing agreements, the authority to enter into joint powers agreements, and/or the ability to enter into intergovernmental agreements. Equalis Lead Agencies meet the statutory requirements in each state to procure contracts and make those competitively solicited contracts available to public sector entities across the country. You will find a memorandum summarizing how Equalis and our Lead Agencies align with the statutes in each state here.
Contact the awarded supplier to confirm whether your company is an authorized dealer/reseller under their Equalis contract.
Common Questions: Buying Through Equalis Contracts
Equalis Group contracts are available to members in all 50 states. For your convenience, we have identified what we believe are the applicable statutes and have developed a document for each state summarizing how Equalis aligns with that state’s statutes. See our State Legal Authority page here.
Equalis members ordering from awarded suppliers place their orders directly with the suppliers. Reach out to your supplier point of contact to find out how to place orders through the competitively solicited Equalis contract with that company. Make sure to provide the Equalis contract number – you can find all awarded contract numbers here. If you do not know who your supplier point of contact is, reach out to your Equalis Member Engagement Representative for assistance.
To receive Equalis pricing, simply provide the awarded supplier with the Equalis contract number for that supplier’s competitively solicited contract – you can find contract numbers here. Include the contract number on purchase orders submitted to the supplier, on emails sent to the supplier when ordering, and when calling in to place an order. Providing the supplier with the Equalis contract number ensures the supplier can properly enter your order in their system and you receive the Equalis contract price.
Awarded suppliers invoice members for their purchases and members pay the awarded suppliers directly through the forms of payment accepted by the supplier. Equalis is not involved in transactions between members and awarded suppliers – we simply provide already procured, competitively solicited contracts that enable members and awarded suppliers to do business together without members having to conduct their own bid or RFP.
We have established a landing page for each contract that includes the associated solicitation and contract documentation. Click here to access the contract landing pages. Contact your Member Engagement Representative to request the master price file for a particular contract.
Reach out to your awarded supplier point of contact and ask them to provide you with a current W-9 for their company. If you do not know who your supplier point of contact is, reach out to your Equalis Member Engagement Representative for assistance.
Common Questions: Prospective Suppliers
Suppliers interested in working with Equalis must respond to and win a solicitation issued by one of our Lead Agencies – that is the only way to become an Equalis awarded supplier. Open solicitations are posted here. We encourage suppliers seeking to partner with Equalis to complete and submit our supplier registration form.
Awarded suppliers win a publicly procured, competitively solicited contract that enables them to sell their products and services directly to public sector entities across the country without having to go through the bid/RFP process. This contract provides awarded suppliers the ability to sell their products and services to agencies that want to buy from them.
We encourage suppliers seeking to partner with Equalis to complete and submit our supplier registration form and regularly check the Solicitations page for open solicitations that may apply to your company.