CAN I JOIN A CO-OP? AASBO Vendor Buyer Conference January 31, 2012 Presented by: Tammy Leeder – Alhambra Elementary School District Lila McCleery – Phoenix Union High School District

Q UESTION : C AN I JOIN A CO - OP ? NO.Only eligible entities can join a co-op by signing and executing a Cooperative Purchasing Agreement. Answer:Reason:

Some of the more recognized cooperatives used by Arizona school districts are: Where do I go to register to become a potential vendor for a co-op? WHAT THE QUESTION SHOULD BE IS...

Some of the more recognized cooperatives used by Arizona school districts are: GPPCS – Greater Phoenix Purchasing Consortium of Schools SAVE – Strategic Alliance for Volume Expenditures TPCN – The Cooperative Purchasing Network MESC – Mohave Educational Services Cooperative, Inc. US Communities Arizona SPO – Arizona State Procurement Office National IPA – National Intergovernmental Purchasing Alliance Company Where do I go to register to become a potential vendor for a co-op? WHAT THE QUESTION SHOULD BE...

GPPCS GREATER PHOENIX PURCHASING CONSORTIUM OF SCHOOLS Eligible Agencies Primarily Maricopa County Public and Charter Schools

GPPCS GREATER PHOENIX PURCHASING CONSORTIUM OF SCHOOLS Eligible Agencies Primarily Maricopa County Public and Charter Schools What is a GPPCS Contract? In reality, there is no such thing as a GPPCS contract. Rather, participating members issue and award contracts as a result of Invitations for Bids (IFB’s) and Request for Proposals (RFP’s) that included cooperative purchasing language. GPPCS does not issue IFB’s or RFP’s or award contracts, nor do they endorse any contract that may contain cooperative language.

GPPCS GREATER PHOENIX PURCHASING CONSORTIUM OF SCHOOLS Eligible Agencies Primarily Maricopa County Public and Charter Schools What is a GPPCS Contract? In reality, there is no such thing as a GPPCS contract. Rather, participating members issue and award contracts as a result of Invitations for Bids (IFB’s) and Request for Proposals (RFP’s) that included cooperative purchasing language. GPPCS does not issue IFB’s or RFP’s or award contracts, nor do they endorse any contract that may contain cooperative language. Is there a GPPCS Vendor List? Unfortunately, No. All bids issued on behalf of GPPCS are issued by a lead District; therefore no vendor listing is maintained by GPPCS. Vendors must contact each school district individually to obtain a copy of their vendor registration packet. A listing of all GPPCS school sites can be located at

GPPCS GREATER PHOENIX PURCHASING CONSORTIUM OF SCHOOLS Things to note about the GPPCS Cooperative There are some cooperative bids that require a commitment from a District prior to issuing the solicitation (example: a copy paper bid for truckloads only deliveries). The award from that bid will only be available for use by those Districts that opted in with a commitment to purchase a specified quantity. Vendors who have been awarded a contract with GPPCS Cooperative language should be aware that each potential participating District reserves the right to perform a separate “due diligence” review to ensure the resultant award complies with their procurement rules and regulations and District policy. To help facilitate a District’s due diligence review, awarded vendors should be able to readily identify the lead District and contract number.

GPPCS GREATER PHOENIX PURCHASING CONSORTIUM OF SCHOOLS Who do I contact if I have a question about GPPCS? Lila McCleery – President, GPPCS Phoenix Union High School District Larry Larson – Vice President, GPPCS Washington Elementary School District

SAVE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE FOR VOLUME EXPENDITURES Eligible Agencies Statewide – All Public Schools and Universities Community Colleges Cities and Towns Counties Public Entities

SAVE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE FOR VOLUME EXPENDITURES Eligible Agencies Statewide – All Public Schools and Universities Community Colleges Cities and Towns Counties Public Entities What is a SAVE Contract? In reality, there is no such thing as a SAVE contract. Rather, participating members issue and award contracts as a result of Invitations for Bids (IFB’s) and Request for Proposals (RFP’s) that included cooperative purchasing language. SAVE does not issue IFB’s or RFP’s or award contracts, nor do they endorse any contract that may contain cooperative language.

SAVE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE FOR VOLUME EXPENDITURES Eligible Agencies Statewide – All Public Schools, Universities, Community Colleges, Cities, Towns, Counties, and Public Entities What is a SAVE Contract? In reality, there is no such thing as a SAVE contract. Rather, participating members issue and award contracts as a result of Invitations for Bids (IFB’s) and Request for Proposals (RFP’s) that included cooperative purchasing language. SAVE does not issue IFB’s or RFP’s or award contracts, nor do they endorse any contract that may contain cooperative language. Is there a SAVE Vendor List? Unfortunately, No. All bids issued on behalf of SAVE are issued by a lead Entity; therefore no vendor listing is maintained by SAVE. Vendors must contact each public entity individually to obtain a copy of their vendor registration packet. A listing of all SAVE members can be located at

SAVE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE FOR VOLUME EXPENDITURES Things to note about the SAVE Cooperative There are some cooperative bids that require eligible entities to opt in prior to the release of the IFB or RFP. Awards that contain opt in language can only be used by the participating entities listed in the IFB or RFP documents. Vendors who have been awarded a contract with SAVE Cooperative language should be aware that each potential participating entity reserves the right to perform a separate “due diligence” review to ensure the resultant award complies with their procurement rules and regulations. To help facilitate an entities due diligence review, awarded vendors should be able to readily identify the lead entity and contract number.

SAVE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE FOR VOLUME EXPENDITURES Who do I contact if I have a question about SAVE? Sharon Brause – SAVE Membership City of Chandler

TCPN THE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING NETWORK Eligible Agencies Public and Private Schools, Colleges and Universities, Cities, Counties, Non-Profits, and All Governmental Entities

TCPN THE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING NETWORK Eligible Agencies Public and Private Schools, Colleges and Universities, Cities, Counties, Non-Profits, and All Governmental Entities. What is a TCPN Contract? TCPN competitively bids and awards contracts to national vendors in accordance with purchasing procedures mandated by state procurement laws and regulations. TCPN awards best-value contracts based on quality, proven performance, customer satisfaction and most importantly pricing.

TCPN THE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING NETWORK Eligible Agencies Public and Private Schools, Colleges and Universities, Cities, Counties, Non-Profits, and All Governmental Entities. What is a TCPN Contract? TCPN competitively bids and awards contracts to national vendors in accordance with purchasing procedures mandated by state procurement laws and regulations. TCPN awards best-value contracts based on quality, proven performance, customer satisfaction and most importantly pricing. TCPN Process: TCPN issued an RFP (or bid) for a commodity or service RFP (or bid) is advertised for four (4) weeks nationally All sealed responses are recorded and publically opened Responses are tabulated and vendors evaluated Contract is awarded to Vendor Awarded contract is ratified by Board of Directors

TCPN THE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING NETWORK Is there a TCPN Vendor List? Unfortunately, No. TCPN advertises solicitations in a number of different ways – local and national newspapers, the TCPN website, and an RSS feed from their website. If you would like to be automatically notified when TCPN issues a solicitation, simply subscribe to their RSS feed and it will updated your inbox with information about ALL solicitations. If you see a solicitation in your inbox you want to respond to, simply go to the TCPN website link “Current Solicitation”, complete the request form, and TCPN will send you the solicitation. The website to receive bid solicitation notifications:

TCPN THE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING NETWORK Things to note about the TCPN Cooperative TCPN receives a lot of calls from companies that want to be “on TCPN”. However, the only way a company can become a TCPN Vendor is to respond to a bid or RFP that TCPN advertises -- and be awarded a contract. Vendors who have been awarded a contract through TCPN should be aware that each potential participating entity reserves the right to perform a separate “due diligence” review to ensure the resultant award complies with their procurement rules and regulations. To help facilitate an entities due diligence review, awarded vendors should be able to readily identify their TCPN contract number.

TCPN THE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING NETWORK Who do I contact if I have a question about TCPN? Michael Chouteau State Manager for TCPN Carolyn Dobbins Contract Manager for TCPN

MESC MOHAVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES COOPERATIVE, INC. Eligible Agencies Arizona Public School Districts, Cities, Counties, Community Colleges, and Qualifying Non-Profit Organizations

MESC MOHAVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES COOPERATIVE, INC. Eligible Agencies Public and Private Schools, Colleges and Universities, Cities, Counties, Non-Profits, and All Governmental Entities. What is a Mohave Contract? Mohave contracts for a variety of goods, services and construction. Examples include: computers, portable buildings, playground equipment, roofing, cabling, school buses, financial management, copiers, and job order contracting. Mohave’s purchasing policies and procedures come from the Arizona State Board of Education School District Procurement Rules, the Arizona Procurement Code and applicable sections of the Arizona Revised Statutes. Contract awards are designed to obtain maximum value and benefit for the members, promote active participation from qualified vendors, and provide fair, open and nondiscriminatory competition.

MESC MOHAVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES COOPERATIVE, INC. Is there a Mohave Vendor List? Yes! Mohave maintains a list of possible bidders. The list includes all firms that have asked to compete for Mohave contracts. The vendors on that list receive notice of Invitations for Bid or Requests for Proposals for commodities or services provided by their firms. The website to receive bid solicitation notifications: Go to their website…. Under the “Purchasing Services” header, select “Vendor Information” Under the “Vendor Information” column heading on the “Purchasing Services” page, click on “Potential Bidder Sign-up” Follow the detailed instructions and you will be registered to receive Mohave IFB/RFP announcements when they are issued for your company’s product and/or service category.

MESC MOHAVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES COOPERATIVE, INC. Things to note about the Mohave Cooperative Placing your firm on the possible bidders list does not establish a contract with Mohave, or indicate their determination that your firm is qualified to enter into a contract for a specific commodity or service. It simply helps provide your firm with the opportunity to compete for their contracts. Mohave issued IFB’s and RFP’s throughout the year. Notification is sent to every vendor registered for the applicable commodity or service category. Mohave also places legal ads in newspapers when advertisement is advantageous or required. Bids and proposals may be submitted in response to a solicitation by any vendor, whether or not registered on the potential bidders list. All sealed bids and proposals are opened in public at Mohave’s Kingman, Arizona office. Mohave is not a sales or marketing firm. If awarded a contract, you must work with the members to be successful.

MESC MOHAVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES COOPERATIVE, INC. More things to note about the Mohave Cooperative Firms cannot “sign-up” to be a Mohave vendor. All Mohave contracts are competitively procured. Registering as a potential bidder does not authorize a firm to sell products or services as a Mohave vendor. Mohave’s procurement solicitations result from member, not vendor, requests. The website contains a tool for members to make those requests. Submitting a bid or proposal does not ensure that your firm will receive a contract. Mohave contract awards are based upon specific competitive procurement requirements. Vendors who have been awarded a contract through Mohave should be aware that each potential participating entity reserves the right to perform a separate “due diligence” review to ensure the resultant award complies with their procurement rules and regulations. To help facilitate an entities due diligence review, awarded vendors should be able to readily identify their Mohave contract number.

MESC MOHAVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES COOPERATIVE, INC. Who do I contact if I have a question about Mohave? Bill Brannen Director of Contracting Programs

U.S. C OMMUNITIES Eligible Agencies Counties, Cities Towns and Villages Special Districts (e.g., Fire, Sewer, Water, etc.) Public Schools including: K-12, Community Colleges, Universities, Technical and Vocational State Agencies Other Local Governments Non-Profit Corporations (including Private K-12, Private Colleges And Universities)

U.S. C OMMUNITIES Eligible Agencies Counties, Cities, Towns and Villages Special Districts (e.g., Fire, Sewer, Water, etc.) Public Schools including: K-12, Community Colleges, Universities, Technical and Vocational State Agencies Other Local Governments Non-Profit Corporations (including Private K-12, Private Colleges and Universities) What is a U.S. Communities Contract? Lead public agencies competitively solicit contracts which U.S. Communities makes available to agencies and non-profits nationwide. All U.S. Communities contracts have been competitively solicited by a lead public agency in accordance with their government purchasing rules and regulations. Each solicitation contains language that advises all suppliers that the contract may be used by other government agencies throughout the United States.

U.S. C OMMUNITIES Is there a U.S. Communities Vendor List? No, but there is vendor notification list. Companies interested in becoming a potential supplier under U.S. Communities should periodically check the U.S. Communities Current Solicitations page for RFP/IFB postings. Interested companies may also wish to register directly with U.S. Communities Advisory Board Agencies to receive notices of solicitation issued by those agencies. Most agencies provide for online registration at their procurement department website. The website to receive bid solicitation notifications:

U.S. COMMUNITIES Things to note about the U.S. Communities Cooperative All U.S. Communities’ contracts are non-exclusive. The U.S. Communities program is comprised of a variety of government contracts, all of which have been competitively solicited by a local government agency, and which have been made available for use by other non-federal government agencies and non-profit organizations providing governmental services. Since each contract is competitively solicited, vendors cannot “sign up” to become a vendor through U.S. Communities. Lead public agencies are generally members of the U.S. Communities Advisory Board that have decided, after consultation with the Advisory Board, to conduct solicitations on behalf of their own agency and other public agencies across the country under the U.S. Communities label. Vendors who have been awarded a contract through U.S. Communities should be aware that each potential participating entity reserves the right to perform a separate “due diligence” review to ensure the resultant award complies with their procurement rules and regulations. To help facilitate an entities due diligence review, awarded vendors should be able to readily identify their U.S. Communities contract number.

U.S. COMMUNITIES Who do I contact if I have a question about U.S. Communities? Paul Terragno Product Manager

A RIZONA S TATE P ROCUREMENT (P ROCURE AZ) Eligible Agencies Arizona Cities, Counties, School Districts and Special Districts. Non-profit Public Procurement Organizations Non-profit Educational Institutions Non-profit Health Institutions State Governments US Federal Government Tribal Nations

A RIZONA S TATE P ROCUREMENT (P ROCURE AZ) Eligible Agencies Arizona Cities, Counties, School Districts and Special Districts. Non-profit Public Procurement Organizations Non-profit Educational Institutions Non-profit Health Institutions State Governments US Federal Government Tribal Nations What is a State Contract? The State Procurement Office (SPO) serves as the central procurement authority for the State of Arizona. Beyond it’s role as the State’s central procurement authority, SPO provides a number of direct procurement services as well. With the support of a number of other authorized agencies, SPO provides many of the State’s most commonly required products and services through our Statewide Contracts program.

A RIZONA S TATE P ROCUREMENT (P ROCURE AZ) Is there a ProcureAZ Vendor List? Yes! ProcureAZ maintains a list of possible bidders. The list includes all firms that have asked to compete for Arizona State contracts. The vendors on that list receive notice of Invitations for Bid or Requests for Proposals for commodities or services provided by their firms. The website for vendors to register as potential vendors and to receive bid solicitation notifications:

A RIZONA S TATE P ROCUREMENT (P ROCURE AZ) Things to note about the Arizona State Contracts Some contracts solicited through the SPO agencies (e.g., ADOT, Department of Health, etc.) are only available to those particular agencies. Vendors should not assume that because they were awarded a contract through the State, that said contract is available for use by all eligible agencies. Firms cannot “sign-up” to be a State vendor. All State contracts are competitively procured. Registering as a potential bidder does not authorize a firm to sell products or services as a State vendor. Submitting a bid or proposal does not ensure that your firm will receive a contract. State contract awards are based upon specific competitive procurement requirements.

A RIZONA S TATE P ROCUREMENT (P ROCURE AZ) More things to note about Arizona State Contracts Vendors who have been awarded a contract through Arizona State should be aware that each potential participating entity reserves the right to perform a separate “due diligence” review to ensure the resultant award complies with their procurement rules and regulations. To help facilitate an entities due diligence review, awarded vendors should be able to readily identify their State contract number.

A RIZONA S TATE P ROCUREMENT (P ROCURE AZ) Who do I contact if I have a question about Arizona State Contracts (ProcureAZ)? Jean Clark State Procurement Administrator Susan Bayer Procurement Manager

NATIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL PURCHASING ALLIANCE CO. Eligible Agencies City/Local Government, County Government, State Government, Public and Private Education Institutions, Special Districts, Government- Education Healthcare Entities, Non-Profits

NATIONAL IPA NATIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL PURCHASING ALLIANCE CO. Eligible Agencies City/Local Government, County Government, State Government, Public and Private Education Institutions, Special Districts, Government- Education Healthcare Entities, Non-Profits What is a National IPA Contract? National IPA works with public agencies, who as Principal Procurement Agencies competitively solicit national master agreements for aggregated use. Master agreements available through National IPA are established with the following process: The Principal Procurement Agency prepares a competitive solicitation, incorporating the required language making the agreement accessible nationally to agencies in states that allow intergovernmental contract usage. The suppliers respond to the solicitation and the Principal Procurement Agency evaluates and awards the master agreement. National IPA launches a marketing plan, including posting of all applicable documents to its website. All participating agencies are eligible to utilize the master agreement through National IPA

NATIONAL IPA NATIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL PURCHASING ALLIANCE CO. Is there a National IPA Vendor List? In searching the National IPA website, there is no indication of a vendor list or even a link where vendors can view current solicitations. The following agencies are listed as Principal Procurement Agencies (PPAs): State of Florida City of Tucson, AZ City of Forth Worth, TX County of DuPage, IL City of Las Vegas, NV Maricopa County, AZ City of San Diego, CA County of San Diego, CA City of Rochester Hills, MI Norfolk Public Schools, VA County of McHenry, IL Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, TN County of Allegheny, PA It is recommended that vendors contact each PPA through their webpage to locate vendor registration information.

NATIONAL IPA NATIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL PURCHASING ALLIANCE CO. Things to note about the National IPA Cooperative Vendors who have been awarded a contract through National IPA should be aware that each potential participating entity reserves the right to perform a separate “due diligence” review to ensure the resultant award complies with their procurement rules and regulations. To help facilitate an entities due diligence review, awarded vendors should be able to readily identify their National IPA contract number.

NATIONAL IPA NATIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL PURCHASING ALLIANCE CO. Who do I contact if I have a question about National IPA? Wayne Casper Group Director, West

I S THERE A GROUP I CAN JOIN ?

IS THERE A GROUP I CAN JOIN? YES!

Eligible Agencies Arizona Public School District Arizona Charter School Arizona Private School Arizona Parochial School Arizona College or University State, County or Government Agency AASBO ARIZONA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS

AASBO ARIZONA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS Eligible Agencies Arizona Public School District Arizona Charter School Arizona Private School Arizona Parochial School Arizona College or University State, County or Government Agency What is AASBO? AASBO is a professional organization providing support and professional development opportunities for individuals in the field of education who provide management and services in accounting, finance, budget, food and nutrition, technology, maintenance and facilities, pupil transportation, and other support service operations. AASBO is recognized by the educational community as the primary source of accurate and objective business and operations information.

AASBO ARIZONA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS Membership in AASBO Currently, AASBO has a membership base of 1,300 members representing not only school employees but Vendors who are interested in doing business with Arizona public schools. Cost: $140 annually Benefits of membership: Bi-Monthly Meetings (5 per year) at no charge to member Subscription to the “EDGE” Newsletter issued 5 times per year Unlimited free job listings Subscription to legislative updates Legislative and policy advocacy Committee involvement. AASBO members are encouraged to participate in all levels of governance in the association which provides them with leadership opportunities as well as a forum to discuss issues in school business management. Networking. AASBO serves as a forum for sharing your experiences, solutions and information among districts across the state. Access to Online Membership Data Base Member Pricing at AASBO sponsored events Access to Online Webcasts and Webinars Non-voting membership. Vendors can only vote for their vendor representatives to serve on the AASBO Board of Directors.

AASBO ARIZONA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS Things to note about AASBO AASBO is not a Cooperative Purchasing Group. AASBO is not a sales or marketing firm. School District members of AASBO will not automatically do business with a Vendor simply because they are a member of AASBO. AASBO is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating its diverse membership in professional best practices and promoting the highest standards in school business administration and professional ethics.

AASBO ARIZONA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS Who do I contact if I have a question about AASBO?