Cooperative purchasing, explained
If your agency hasn't used cooperative purchasing before, this page explains what it is, why agencies across the country rely on it, and how it facilitates the procurement of products & services without developing a new RFP.
What is cooperative purchasing?
Cooperative purchasing — also called joint purchasing or cooperative procurement — is a legal procurement method that allows public agencies to buy goods, services, and construction by leveraging contracts that have already been competitively awarded by another public entity.
Rather than each agency running its own RFP for the same kind of work, one public entity conducts the competitive solicitation, and other agencies "piggyback" on the resulting contract. The procurement work has already been done — competitively, transparently, and in compliance with public procurement law — so the second agency can simply use the contract.
LNC holds multiple awarded cooperative purchasing contracts through OMNIA Partners and Region 14 ESC Texas that public agencies nationwide can use to procure construction and facilities-related services.
The new standard for public agency procurement.
Speed without shortcuts
Avoid months of solicitation work without skipping the rigor of competitive bidding. The competition has already happened.
Legal compliance
Cooperative purchasing is authorized for use in every state. Using a properly awarded cooperative contract satisfies your competitive procurement requirements.
Aggregated buying power
Cooperative contracts represent the buying power of thousands of public entities, often producing better pricing than a single agency could negotiate alone.
Lower administrative cost
The cost of running a full solicitation — staff time, legal review, advertising, evaluation — falls dramatically when you piggyback on an existing contract.
Real-world example for public construction.
Your situation: Your school district needs to renovate the HVAC systems in three buildings. Traditionally, you develop specifications, scope, and budget, draft an RFP for publication, host vendors, answer questions, evaluate bidders, negotiate and award the contract — then hope for the best.
With cooperative purchasing: You leverage LNC's existing contracts to directly engage with certified Affiliate Vendors. All proposals are audited and certified by LNC prior to submission, ensuring contract terms, market rates, and compliance requirements are met.
The result: Same rigor, dramatically faster timeline. Work can begin in weeks, not months.
Myths and facts.
"Cooperative purchasing is only for commodities like office supplies and computers."
Most state procurement codes explicitly authorize cooperative purchasing for construction, professional services, and capital projects in addition to commodities. South Carolina §11-35-4810, for example, names "supplies, services, technology information, or construction" by statute.
"Piggybacking on another agency's contract bypasses competitive bidding requirements."
It is the opposite — cooperative purchasing uses a contract that was awarded through full and open competition. Most state statutes (e.g., Texas §271.102(c)) explicitly state that using a properly awarded cooperative contract satisfies the state's competitive bidding requirements.
"Cooperative contracts only work in the state where they were originally awarded."
Many cooperative contracts — including those administered by OMNIA Partners and Region 14 ESC — are explicitly available to public agencies in all 50 states. Your state's procurement code determines whether your agency can use them; nearly all states authorize this practice.
Confirm cooperative purchasing in your state.
State procurement codes vary. Before initiating any cooperative procurement, your agency should confirm the specific statutory authority in your jurisdiction. We've compiled a state-by-state reference of the relevant statutes — use it as a starting point for your legal team's review.