Cooperative contracts for higher education and public entities

Competitively solicited contracts designed to reduce administrative burden and support compliant purchasing.

The Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) provides cooperative contracts and programs that help member states and institutions reduce administrative costs and streamline procurement.

MHEC develops its cooperative contracts through a competitive RFP process and assumes responsibility for the solicitation and negotiation process on behalf of eligible entities—helping reduce the need for individual RFPs while still allowing institutions to tailor solutions to their needs.

Contract portfolios include areas such as technology (hardware, software, networking, and services) and other operational categories commonly used by higher education and public-sector organizations.

Member-owned, non-profit sourcing cooperative

Education-focused, competitively solicited contracts.

E&I Cooperative Services is the only member-owned, non-profit sourcing cooperative exclusively focused on serving the education community. With a comprehensive portfolio of competitively solicited, education-focused contracts, E&I helps departments across campus save time and money by eliminating the need to run your own RFPs.

Their contracts connect you with trusted suppliers at competitive prices and can support goals related to sustainability and supplier diversity.

Competitively solicited cooperative contracts (lead public agency model)

Portfolio spans higher education, K-12, government, and nonprofit categories.

OMNIA Partners provides access to a large portfolio of cooperative "Master Agreements" that are publicly solicited and awarded by a lead public agency (e.g., public university, school district, city/county, or other governmental entity).

OMNIA indicates there are no costs or fees to participate, and contract documentation is organized by industry with searchable supplier master agreements by keyword, supplier name, or category.

How to Find OMNIA Contracts

• Go to the contract portfolio page and select your industry (e.g., Higher Education). Then search by keyword, supplier name, or category: Contract Offerings (Master Agreement Portfolio)
• Open a supplier result to access available contract documents (e.g., executive summary, pricing, due diligence, and master agreement documents where posted).

How to Purchase Off OMNIA Contracts

1. Confirm eligibility / participation. Verify your organization is eligible to use OMNIA Partners Public Sector contracts. If your organization is already registered under legacy programs (e.g., National IPA / U.S. Communities / NCPA), OMNIA notes that you may not need to re-register for access (subject to contract exceptions).
2. Select the contract and review ordering/pricing. Use the contract page to locate pricing files, supplier contacts, and any ordering instructions.
3. Request a quote when applicable. For services or complex solutions, obtain a quote/SOW from the supplier consistent with your internal controls, and reference the OMNIA contract and lead agency documentation.
4. Issue your purchasing document. Create your PO/contract/work order in your system, referencing the OMNIA contract and any quote/SOW, and follow your internal approval thresholds.
5. Retain documentation. Keep the applicable contract reference, pricing/quote documentation, and your purchasing document in the procurement file.

University-wide pricing agreements managed by UMN Purchasing Services

Contracted pricing and terms for commonly used goods and services; access may be available to eligible public entities.

The University of Minnesota maintains UWide Contracts (University-Wide Pricing Agreements) managed by UMN Purchasing Services. These agreements provide negotiated pricing structures (e.g., discounts off product lines or net pricing on specific items/models) and are supported by supplier-specific ordering information and contract identifiers (UWide#).

UMN notes that, through reciprocal contracting, the State of Minnesota and other public agencies may be allowed to use the University’s contracts. When leveraging UWide contracts, confirm eligibility and ordering instructions for your organization and the specific supplier agreement before purchase.

How to Find UWide Contracts

• Start at the UWide Contracts home page: uwidecontracts.umn.edu
• Use the "Full List of Suppliers" (published as a Google Sheet) to locate a supplier and capture the UWide#. Access the supplier list from the UWide page
• For complete contract terms and conditions, request the full contract by referencing the supplier name and UWide#.

How to Purchase Using UWide Contracts

1. Confirm eligibility and scope. Validate your organization’s ability to use the specific UWide agreement (and whether any limitations apply).
2. Identify the supplier and UWide#. Use the published supplier list and capture the UWide contract number for file documentation and ordering.
3. Follow supplier ordering instructions. Work directly with the awarded supplier and reference the UWide# for contract pricing/terms.
4. Issue your purchasing document. Create your PO/contract/work order consistent with internal approvals and controls, referencing the UWide# and any quote/SOW.
5. Retain documentation. Keep the UWide# reference, pricing/quote documentation, and the purchase order/contract in the procurement file.

Multi-state cooperative contracts using a lead-state model

Competitively solicited contracts leveraged by states, higher education, and public entities nationwide.

NASPO ValuePoint is the cooperative purchasing arm of the National Association of State Procurement Officials. Contracts are established using a lead-state solicitation model, where one state conducts a competitive procurement on behalf of participating states and eligible public entities.

These contracts are designed to reduce duplication of effort, leverage multi-state buying power, and provide consistent contract terms, pricing structures, and supplier accountability.

Where to Find NASPO ValuePoint Contracts

• Browse all available cooperative contracts at: NASPO ValuePoint Contract Portfolio
• Contracts are organized by category (e.g., IT, software, cloud services, vehicles, facilities, professional services).
• Each contract page includes participating states, pricing documentation, participating addenda, and supplier contact information.

How to Purchase Off NASPO Contracts

1. Confirm eligibility by reviewing your state’s Participating Addendum (PA) for the contract.
2. Follow your internal procurement and approval requirements (e.g., delegated authority, spend thresholds).
3. Issue a purchase order or contract referencing the NASPO ValuePoint contract number and PA.
4. Some contracts allow or require a secondary quote process or statement of work for complex services.

NASPO ValuePoint contracts generally satisfy competitive solicitation requirements; however, institutions remain responsible for documenting eligibility, pricing, and compliance with internal policies and state statutes.

The Office of State Procurement (OSP), part of the Minnesota Department of Administration, serves as the State of Minnesota’s central procurement authority. OSP establishes competitively solicited contracts for goods and services used by state agencies and eligible public entities.

Eligible non-state entities may access certain OSP contracts through the Cooperative Purchasing Venture (CPV), which provides the legal mechanism for participating organizations to purchase from state contracts.

How to Purchase Off OSP Contracts (CPV)

1. Confirm CPV eligibility and participation. Purchasing entities must be eligible and, where required, enrolled in the CPV program.
2. Identify an available CPV contract. Review contracts designated as CPV-eligible on the OSP website.
3. Review contract-specific ordering instructions. Each contract outlines how to order, required documentation, and pricing structure.
4. Issue a local purchase order or contract. The purchasing entity issues its own PO or contract referencing the OSP contract number and follows internal approval and encumbrance requirements.
5. Maintain procurement documentation. Retain CPV participation confirmation, pricing documentation, and the applicable OSP contract in the procurement file.

Cooperative purchasing with competitively solicited contracts

Hundreds of awarded contracts for government, education, and nonprofit organizations.

Sourcewell helps agencies save time and reduce administrative effort by offering competitively solicited cooperative contracts that are ready for use.

How to Locate Sourcewell Contracts

• Use the contract search page to filter by category or keyword: Search awarded contracts & vendors.
• Prefer browsing? Use the A–Z vendor/contract list: Contracts & vendors (A–Z).
• Each contract page typically includes awarded vendor(s), scope, and contract documentation, plus ordering contact information.

How to Purchase Off Sourcewell Contracts

1. Confirm participation (account number). If your organization is not already registered, complete Sourcewell’s registration to obtain an account number.
2. Select a contract and contact the supplier. Sourcewell’s public guidance indicates purchases are made from awarded contracts by working with the supplier and referencing your Sourcewell account number for contract pricing.
3. Follow your internal approvals and issue your purchasing document. Issue a PO/contract/quote acceptance consistent with your internal procurement controls while referencing the Sourcewell contract (and any applicable quote/SOW for services).
4. Retain documentation. Keep the contract reference, quote/pricing documentation, and your purchasing document in the procurement file.

Pre-competed contract solutions and purchasing tools

GSA provides contract vehicles and online tools used for market research, pricing, and ordering.

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) offers acquisition solutions—most notably the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS)—that provide pre-negotiated contract terms and pricing for commonly purchased products and services.

While MAS is primarily a federal program, GSA also maintains specific programs that can allow eligible state and local government entities to use certain MAS offerings under defined conditions (for example, Cooperative Purchasing, Disaster Purchasing, and Public Health Emergency purchasing).

How to Find GSA Contracts

• GSA eLibrary (contract award info for MAS and other vehicles): gsaelibrary.gsa.gov
• GSA Advantage! (shopping/ordering interface for millions of items): gsaadvantage.gov
• GSA eBuy (RFQ/RFI posting tool to request quotes from schedule contractors): ebuy.gsa.gov
• BUY.GSA.GOV and tools (pricing and contract discovery, including CALC): buy.gsa.gov

How to Purchase Using GSA Contracts

1. Confirm eligibility and program authority. Determine whether your organization can buy under a GSA state/local program (if applicable) and whether the specific contract/SIN is included.
2. Identify the contract and ordering method. Use eLibrary/Advantage to identify contract holders and offerings; for more complex needs, issue an RFQ via eBuy.
3. Apply MAS ordering guidance (as applicable). GSA publishes ordering references (including a MAS Ordering Quick Reference Guide) describing streamlined procedures.
4. Issue your purchasing document and retain support. Create your PO/contract/SOW consistent with your internal approval thresholds, referencing the GSA contract number and any quote/pricing documentation.