Cooperative Procurement and Cooperative Purchasing Programs

Cooperative procurement is a process that allows eligible entities, such as local, tribal, and state governments, along with public educational institutions, to purchase products through pre-approved industry partners across different jurisdictions. At its most fundamental level, cooperative practice takes two forms:

  1. Joint Solicitation: In joint solicitation, two or more agencies combine their individual product and service needs into a single solicitation effort. The resulting contract binds all participating agencies. This collaborative approach provides clearly defined requirements for suppliers.
  2. Piggybacking: Piggybacking occurs when an agency uses another agency’s contract, even if it wasn’t part of the original solicitation. Agencies that piggyback on existing contracts are bound by the terms, conditions, and pricing set in those contracts. Unlike joint solicitation, piggybacking doesn’t inform suppliers of the actual purchasing volume upfront.

Refer to City Code Section 2-411.1 (a)(5) & (a)(6)

Cooperative Purchasing Programs

We offer the following list of cooperative purchasing programs in the U.S. and Canada for the convenience of the practitioner community. Program inclusion is provided at no charge and DOES NOT indicate endorsement by the City.