Government, education, and nonprofit organizations have two main options for purchasing phone systems while meeting competitive solicitation requirements: traditional RFPs or cooperative purchasing agreements. 

But here's what many school districts don't realize: cooperative purchasing doesn't just check the compliance box. It's actually your best shot at getting a high-quality system. Here’s what you need to know to leverage cooperative purchasing effectively.

Why Do Competitive Solicitation Requirements Exist?

Because government, education, and nonprofit agencies are publicly funded, they have a standardized process for making large purchases. Statutes exist that require these organizations to make competitive solicitations for purchases over a certain amount.

Publicly funded agencies must go out for competitive solicitations to provide companies an equal opportunity for their business and to document how the money they are given is being spent. Traditionally, a request for proposal (RFP) has been the route publicly funded agencies follow. 

Challenges RFPs Present for Schools

Though the RFP process was designed with good intentions, it presents some challenges for schools needing to make purchases that will affect their daily operations:

• Because responding is time-consuming, the best businesses may not respond 
• Businesses may put little energy into their proposal 
• The entire RFP process usually takes 3-4 months, but could take much longer 
• Small districts have very little leverage in negotiations
• The focus on awarding contracts to the lowest bidder often prioritizes cost over actual needs
• RFP review committees don’t always consult end users 

The result? After a whole lot of time and energy wasted, schools can end up paying more for a solution that doesn’t work well.  

Using Sourcewell To Upgrade School Phones and More

Sourcewell takes the burden of RFPs off government, education, and nonprofit agencies by conducting their own RFP process and awarding vendors a national contract.

Instead of the time-consuming, multi-step process, only four steps have to be completed to get a new phone system:

1. Become a member of Sourcewell (most organizations use this contract for other things already!)
2. Begin a purchasing conversation with a trusted dealer to determine your specific phone system needs
3. Indicate that you want Sourcewell pricing; Cut PO
4. Have equipment delivered and installed

Sourcewell contracts require fewer steps, take less time, and take most of the heavy-lifting off your shoulders.

Marco’s Sourcewell Contracts 

We actually have a number of pre-negotiated contracts with Sourcewell and other cooperative purchasing organizations. 

As far as school phone systems are concerned, we provide a variety of Mitel telecommunications and wireless equipment and services. School districts aren’t all the same, and neither are phone systems. So while we are proud to help schools save money, we’re a service organization. So ultimately, we’re far more invested in making sure a new system matches an organization’s needs. 

Curious about the details and about our other cooperative purchasing contracts? Click the link below to see what’s available for education clients.