In cooperative purchasing, multiple organizations collaborate to buy goods or services together, unlike a bidding process where each organization seeks offers from suppliers individually. Cooperative purchasing allows for shared resources and collective bargaining power, resulting in better deals and an efficient procurement process.
Joining Sourcewell is free and open to government, education, and non-profit organizations. Simply fill out this online application and once approved, you’ll receive an account number to start making purchases on any Sourcewell contract.
A purchase made via a Sourcewell contract does not skip or bypass a bid process. Rather, a Sourcewell contract satisfies the bid process. As a government entity, Sourcewell does competitive solicitations on behalf of other public organizations and, thanks to a Joint Powers law in every state, your agency is allowed to use their work to meet bid requirements.