Category: Resources

How Cooperative Buying in Education Helps Institutions Save on Essential Supplies

With cooperative buying, schools can combine their purchasing power to obtain lower prices and better terms from suppliers. This is especially powerful for commodities and essential supplies for school districts, colleges, and universities. You save time and money while streamlining your procurement. Key Benefits of Partnering with an Education Buying Cooperative When you partner with […]

The Flexibility of Buying Cooperatives for Higher Education Procurement

An education buyer cooperative like E&I Cooperative Services helps you do more than just buy the goods and services you need. They serve as a comprehensive resource for educational institutions. By leveraging category specialists, cooperatives enhance procurement strategies, offering insights into market trends and supplier performance. These specialists possess in-depth knowledge of specific categories, enabling […]

How Buying Cooperatives Are Innovating Through Higher Ed Institutions

Procurement and finance teams in higher education are dealing with greater challenges than ever before. This includes ensuring the needs of their institutions are being met while balancing budget constraints and rising costs. Often, they’re functioning with smaller staff and less time. A higher ed cooperative buying group can help in many ways, but it […]

Tips for Leveraging Buying Cooperatives to Achieve Long-Term Savings in Education

Ask anyone working in educational procurement and you’ll hear similar concerns: Increasing operational costs. Increasing budget constraints. Fewer resources. Sound familiar? The pressure to lower costs and maintain a high quality of goods and services is significant for procurement teams and finance leaders in today’s environment. A 2024 survey by Boston Consulting Group reported that […]

How Does a Buying Cooperative Work? A Breakdown for Higher Education Institutions

Financial pressures in higher education are mounting. At least 20 colleges closed in 2024 and more than 40 since 2020. Rising costs are straining many families, and the forecasted “enrollment cliff” is almost here. After 2025, the number of high school graduates is predicted to drop significantly—by as much as 15% over the next five to […]

Ensuring Compliance in Higher Ed with Cooperative Purchasing Contracts

With a legally compliant cooperative purchasing contract in higher ed, you can buy with confidence. A cooperative purchasing contract must meet rigorous standards to comply with procurement requirements. Failing to comply with procurement requirements and laws can have significant implications, including financial penalties, strained relationships with funders, and a loss of trust. Procurement compliance is […]

How to Manage the Contract Period for Cooperative Purchasing in Higher Ed

Tips for Managing the Contract Period for Cooperative Purchasing Contracts Procurement often involves complex negotiations and contracts crafted to comply with a wide variety of laws and regulations. A purchasing cooperative contract in higher ed takes this into account and leverages aggregated buying power to obtain better pricing and more favorable terms. The contract period […]

Navigating Lifecycle Management for Higher Ed Cooperative Purchasing Contracts

If you work with a cooperative purchasing organization, you expect more than just contract negotiation and discount pricing. You want a partner that will help you navigate the contract’s lifecycle so you can maximize the value. The best cooperatives look out for their members, advocating for them throughout the contract period for cooperative purchasing. They […]