Cooperative Purchasing

What is it? Cooperative purchasing opportunities for Texas counties have become more numerous in recent years. Cooperative purchasing programs take advantage of the combined purchasing power of the participating entities. In theory and in practice, the bidding requirements of the entities are combined to result in larger volume and better unit pricing.

Cooperative sponsorship varies from state government agencies to those organized under Chapter 791 of the Government Code. Participating in purchasing contracts with governmental entities from other part of the country (such as the U.S. Communities' contracts) was only recently provided for by the Texas Legislature. Counties can benefit greatly from use of cooperative purchasing but care must be taken to insure compliance with the laws, thus, sponsorship is an important factor.

In this portal, we list primary on-line purchasing cooperatives for Texas counties that were established within legal requirements counties face. Some of these cooperatives have well-defined product niches while others may overlap in what they offer. Under each cooperative, we share information to help you make decisions that best fit your county's purchasing needs such as products, vendors, how-to-join, etc.

What are its advantages? Besides obvious benefits of cost savings, the ability to acquire products quickly without having to go through a formal, advertised bid procedure may make the cooperative purchases more attractive. Cooperative which offer the same products may also be compared.

How do I ensure best value? State law requires that counties use best value in the purchasing of goods and services. One way to insure best value is to compare the cooperative bid prices with those obtained locally in order to determine the best value for the county under the circumstances.

What types of purchases lend themselves to cooperatives? Items of a generic nature, such as copy paper, copiers, furniture and janitorial supplies will be found on cooperative bids. Also, large items such as automobiles and heavy equipment may be bid by a cooperative -- often with a full array of options from which the purchasing entities may choose. Generally, any products or services which are used by a large number of governmental entities may be found in the legally bid and awarded competitive bids.