What Is a GPO Contract? The Higher Education Buyer’s Complete Guide
It’s a fact of life in today’s higher education environment. Procurement teams are under constant pressure to do more with less, stretch budgets, and control costs, which has made sourcing decisions more complex. As such, colleges and universities are re-examining how they manage procurement and increasingly turning to group purchasing organizations. However, procurement teams must […]
Cooperative Purchasing vs. Traditional RFPs: Which Saves More Money in Higher Education?
The financial situation at many academic institutions might be best summed up as tenuous. Even for those that are thriving, margins are tighter and cost increases are shrinking budgets. Procurement teams are often stuck in the middle, trying to find the high-quality goods and services colleges and universities need to remain competitive while also trying […]
The 2026 List of Education Purchasing Cooperatives: How to Choose the Right Partner
Cooperative purchasing has become a staple in higher education procurement, aggregating demand across institutions to deliver volume discounts and streamlining procurement to reduce administrative overhead. With rising costs, limited staff time, and growing complexity, finding the right education purchasing cooperatives can yield significant results. Cooperative Purchasing Continues to Grow in Higher Education Why are institutions […]
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 […]