GPO Pricing Explained: How Higher Education Institutions Save 10–15% on Procurement
While pricing increases may not reach the significant jumps we’ve seen over the past few years, costs for higher education continue to rise. The Higher Education Price Index (HEPI) shows that inflation at U.S. colleges and universities rose another 2.6% in fiscal year 2025 on top of a 2.4% increase the year before. State funding […]
The Complete Guide to Higher Education Procurement: Cooperative Purchasing, GPO Contracts and Cost Savings Strategies
The financial challenges in higher education today have been well-documented. As college and universities leaders try to resolve funding issues, academic finance and procurement teams are under increasing pressure to deliver cost control even as prices for goods and services continue to rise. This guide examines how higher education procurement works today, the role of […]
What Is an RFP Contract? Definition, Process, and Best Practices for Education
It’s not easy being in procurement these days. Budget reductions, fewer resources, and an increased demand to lower costs while prices keep rising: The pressure can be…intense. While the RFP meaning in procurement hasn’t changed over the years, institutions today are increasingly seeking more efficient ways to manage the RFP process and streamline purchasing. In […]
Types of Solicitation Documents in Procurement: RFP, RFQ, IFB Explained
The types of solicitation documents in procurement you use will change depending on the situation, and even experienced procurement teams can be confused about which document to use at times. Understanding solicitation documents will help you align sourcing methods with risk, complexity, and institutional goals while improving your ability to evaluate suppliers effectively. What Is […]
RFP vs Cooperative Contracts: When to Use Each in Education Procurement
There’s one word that keeps coming up when you talk to procurement teams in education these days, and that’s pressure. There’s pressure to deliver measurable savings and move faster with fewer resources. There’s pressure to meet a growing list of institutional, compliance, and grant requirements. And there’s pressure to find strategic ways to streamline processes. […]
Higher Education Contract Management: Complete Guide to Compliance and Best Practices
So much of the effort in procurement is focused on soliciting, evaluating, and negotiating agreements. On top of that, institutions might be balancing hundreds or even thousands of active contracts and suppliers. This leaves higher education contract management as one of the more common areas that get overlooked in the course of managing procurement. Budgets […]
The Complete Guide to RFP Development and Contract Management in Education Procurement
Request for Proposal (RPF) processes and contract management practices are fundamental in education procurement. They shape how institutions demonstrate compliance, manage risk, and steward public and nonprofit funds. However, they are time and resource intensive, representing a significant challenge for procurement teams that are asked to do more with less. This guide is designed to […]
The Complete Guide to Procurement Software and eProcurement Solutions for Higher Education
How digital are you? Among chief procurement officers, 83% say digitizing the procurement process is a key priority, creating an end-to-end solution that streamlines the entire purchasing process. With today‘s tight budgets and funding challenges, efficiency has become more crucial than ever. If you’re handling a lot of work manually or using legacy procurement software, […]
Cooperative Purchasing Agreements in Education: Your Guide to Federal Compliance and Savings
Education funding often comes with strict compliance requirements, especially when federal grants and funding are involved. Procurement teams must manage this complexity while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations, securing competitive pricing, and documenting every step of the sourcing process. It’s a lot of work, and it must be done correctly. Cooperative purchasing […]
Procurement Savings Through GPO Membership: A Complete Guide for Educational Institutions
By leveraging cooperative contracts, procurement organizations are reducing administrative workloads, improving purchasing consistency, and benefiting from competitive pricing negotiated through the combined volume of thousands of institutions, resulting in procurement savings. The Growing Impact of GPO Membership on Education Procurement Group purchasing is growing rapidly as a way to achieve procurement savings. Across industries, organizations […]