Alaska
Alaska's State Procurement Code (AS §36.30.700) explicitly authorizes cooperative purchasing for 'supplies, services, professional services, or construction' — placing Alaska among the construction-friendly cooperative purchasing jurisdictions. The statute extends to 'external procurement activities' including buying organizations outside Alaska and federal agencies, making national cooperative arrangements clearly within the statutory framework.
State Procurement Code — Cooperative Purchasing Authorized; Intergovernmental Relations Alaska Stat. §36.30.700 and Alaska Const. Art. X, §13
"A public procurement unit may either participate in, sponsor, conduct, or administer a cooperative purchasing agreement for the procurement of supplies, services, professional services, or construction with one or more public procurement units or external procurement activities in accordance with an agreement entered into between the participants. Cooperative purchasing may include joint or multi-party contracts between public procurement units and open-ended state public procurement units contracts that are made available to local public procurement units."
— Alaska Stat. §36.30.700 and Alaska Const. Art. X, §13, State Procurement Code — Cooperative Purchasing Authorized; Intergovernmental Relations
Plain-language summary
Alaska's cooperative purchasing framework is broadly construction-friendly and well-structured. Alaska Statute §36.30.700 (within the State Procurement Code, Title 36 Chapter 30) is the operative cooperative purchasing authority: 'A public procurement unit may either participate in, sponsor, conduct, or administer a cooperative purchasing agreement for the procurement of supplies, services, professional services, or construction with one or more public procurement units or external procurement activities in accordance with an agreement entered into between the participants.' The explicit inclusion of 'construction' in this list places Alaska alongside states like Texas, Colorado, Kentucky, and South Carolina that name construction directly in the cooperative purchasing authority. AS §36.30.790 provides definitions: 'cooperative purchasing' means procurement conducted by or on behalf of more than one public procurement unit; 'external procurement activity' is broadly defined as any buying organization not located in Alaska that would qualify as a public procurement unit if located there, AND any agency of the United States. 'Local public procurement unit' includes municipalities, subdivisions, and any entity expending public funds for procurement of 'supplies, services, professional services, and construction.' Alaska's constitutional foundation reinforces this authority: Article X, §13 provides 'Agreements, including those for cooperative or joint administration of any functions or powers, may be made by any local government with any other local government, with the State, or with the United States, unless otherwise provided by law or charter.' Cooperative purchasing may include joint or multi-party contracts, and open-ended state public procurement unit contracts that are made available to local public procurement units. Alaska has additional supportive sections: §36.30.710 (interagency sale, acquisition, and use of supplies and services); §36.30.720 (joint use or lease of facilities and equipment); §36.30.730 (supply of personnel, services, and other items). Public construction in Alaska remains subject to applicable bidding, prevailing wage, and bonding requirements, and Alaska bidder preferences (5% Alaska bidder preference under AS §36.30.170).
Key requirements
- →AS §36.30.700 explicitly authorizes cooperative purchasing for 'supplies, services, professional services, or construction' — construction directly named.
- →AS §36.30.790: 'external procurement activity' broadly defined to include any buying organization outside Alaska that would qualify as a public procurement unit (if located in Alaska), AND any agency of the U.S.
- →Cooperative purchasing may include joint or multi-party contracts between public procurement units and open-ended state public procurement units contracts that are made available to local public procurement units.
- →Alaska Constitution Article X, §13: agreements (including cooperative or joint administration of functions or powers) may be made by any local government with any other local government, with the State, or with the United States.
- →Alaska Constitution Article X, §2: state and political subdivisions may cooperate with the U.S. and other states on matters of common interest.
- →AS §36.30.710: interagency sale, acquisition, and use of supplies and services authority.
- →AS §36.30.720: joint use or lease of facilities and equipment authority.
- →AS §36.30.170: 5% Alaska bidder preference applies to procurement awards.
- →Public construction projects must comply with applicable Alaska competitive bidding, prevailing wage, and bonding requirements regardless of cooperative pathway.
Construction services
Alaska is broadly construction-friendly for cooperative purchasing. AS §36.30.700 explicitly names 'construction' in the list of cooperative-purchasable categories — placing Alaska alongside Texas, Colorado, Kentucky, South Carolina, and other states that directly authorize cooperative construction in statute. The 'external procurement activity' definition is broadly drafted to include both out-of-state buying organizations and federal agencies, making national cooperatives like OMNIA Partners and Region 14 ESC Texas clearly within the statutory framework. Alaska's constitutional foundation (Article X, §13) provides additional reinforcement for intergovernmental cooperation including with the federal government and other states. Alaska public agencies considering cooperative construction procurement have a clear statutory pathway, subject to applicable Alaska construction-specific requirements (prevailing wage, bonding, and the 5% Alaska bidder preference under AS §36.30.170). Counsel should verify the specific cooperative contract structure satisfies AS §36.30.700 and any project-specific Alaska public works requirements.
How Alaska agencies access our contracts.
LNC holds multiple cooperative purchasing contracts through OMNIA Partners and Region 14 ESC Texas, all of which are available to public agencies in Alaska under Alaska Stat. §36.30.700 and Alaska Const. Art. X, §13.
Your agency can use our contracts to procure construction services through certified Affiliate Vendors. Every Affiliate proposal is audited and certified by LNC before reaching you.
Talk to LNC About Your Project →This summary is provided for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Alaska's procurement code may have been amended since this content was prepared. Confirm the current text of Alaska Stat. §36.30.700 and Alaska Const. Art. X, §13 and consult your jurisdiction's legal counsel before relying on this authority for a specific procurement.