Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

To Bid Or Not To Bid?

  • 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 to be strategic in your use of cooperative agreements. It starts internally with your campus. Ask the following: Do you understand your legal authority? Is your legal counsel familiar? Has your campus utilized cooperative agreements before? Does your Board or Council need to approve the use? What does your political landscape look like? Can social goals or local preference initiatives be achieved?

Next, evaluate the various cooperative organizations: How long has the cooperative been operating? Does your campus need to join the cooperative? Is there a fee? Was the solicitation advertised? Where and how? 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 the cooperative’s 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 of the contract amendable? Is there a rebate on the contract? How is it paid?

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

  • University of Washington Opens New Broadcast Studio

    The University of Washington in Seattle, Wash., recently announced the opening of Sundodger Studios, a new broadcast, production, and content facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with Anthony James Partners for the design and development of the studio, which will host about 100 live broadcasts and 120 live videoboard shows per year.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • California High School Opens New Classroom Building for 7th-, 8th-Graders

    Santa Rosa City Schools in Santa Rosa, Calif., recently announced the completion of a new classroom building for Piner High School. As the campus transitions to a Junior/Senior High School, the facility will play home to the school’s new population of seventh- and eighth-grade students.

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.