Add as a preferred source on Google

To Bid Or Not To Bid: That Isn't the Question!

  • By Duff Erholtz
  • 06/01/17

With all due respect to Mr. Shakespeare, the real question is determining whether or not to do your own bid, or to utilize another public agency’s cooperative agreement. Here’s what you need to know.

It starts internally with your school. Ask the following:

  • Do you understand your legal authority?
  • Is your legal counsel familiar?
  • Has your school utilized cooperative agreements before?
  • Does your board have to approve the use?
  • What does your political landscape look like?
  • Can goals or initiatives be achieved?

Next, evaluate the organizations:

  • How long has the cooperative been operating?
  • Does your school have to join the cooperative? Is there a fee?
  • Was the solicitation advertised?
  • What procurement laws does the cooperative follow in soliciting, evaluating and awarding contracts?
  • Has the cooperative received third-party audits, peer review or awards?
  • What is the level of customer service?
  • Does its website contain accessible and thorough documentation?

Finally, and most importantly, analyze the actual contract:

  • Does the awarded contract contain the specific solution you need?
  • When was the contract awarded, and when does it expire?
  • What are the qualifications, capabilities and financial health of the awarded supplier?
  • How is pricing addressed? i.e. percentage discount, ceiling-based pricing
  • Are the terms and conditions amendable?
  • Is there a rebate on the contract?

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Duff Erholtz serves as a Membership Development administrator at National Joint Powers Alliance. Contact him at [email protected] or visit njpa.co/NCPProadmap.

Featured

  • Spaces4Learning Announces Winners of 2025 Product Awards

    Spaces4Learning has just announced the winners of the 2025 Product Awards! The award program recognizes innovation and excellence in products that enhance learning environments in K–12 schools and institutions of higher education.

  • Kimball International Launches New Furniture for K–12 Classrooms

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of four new products designed for a variety of professional environments, including K–12 schools, according to a news release.

  • FAU Starts Construction on Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building

    Florida Atlantic University recently began construction on a new academic building for its campus in Boca Raton, Fla., according to university news. The Kurt and Marilyn Wallach Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building will stand two stories, measure in at 22,000 square feet, and play home to the university’s Holocaust education and Jewish studies programs.

  • ClassVR Wins Tech & Learning Best of Show at ISTELive 25

    Avantis Education recently announced that its flagship product, ClassVR, won the Tech & Learning Best of Show Award at ISTELive 25 in San Antonio, Texas, according to a news release. The program is designed to celebrate products that are “transforming education in schools around the world and that show the greatest promise for the industry,” and this is the fourth consecutive year that Avantis has claimed the award.