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

  • Hawaii Elementary School Reopens Following $25M Campus Modernization

    Haʻaheo Elementary School in Hilo, Hawaii, has reopened to students following a three-year, $25-million campus modernization and expansion project that significantly increases the school's instructional space while preserving one of the island's oldest educational institutions, according to local news.

  • 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.

  • UCF Modernizes College of Hospitality Management

    The University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., recently completed a major renovation effort for the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, according to a news release. The project modernized 77,600 square feet worth of academic classrooms, teaching labs, and collaborative spaces to support both students and faculty.

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.