Procurement plays a vital role in achieving your institutional goals. For higher education institutions, procurement is more than just purchasing; it’s strategic stewardship of resources.
Yet, managing cost control, compliance, and supplier relationships can be complex.
Rising costs, shrinking budgets, and increased scrutiny make it harder for procurement teams to do more with less. Group purchasing organizations (GPOs) aggregate the buying power of multiple institutions to produce agreements that streamline procurement, lower costs, and strengthen compliance.
GPOs play a unique role in higher education procurement, serving as an extension of your team by handling contract solicitation, negotiation, and management.
However, not all GPOs operate the same way, and not all agreements are equal. The real value lies in the GPO provisions, those contract terms that define access, pricing, flexibility, and support and the approach GPOs take to creating them.
Procurement teams must look beyond surface-level savings and ask:
What provisions are embedded in this agreement?
Are contracts tailored to education’s regulatory and operational needs?
Is there room for customization?
Do the terms enable long-term supplier partnerships?
The right GPO provisions can help you maximize value, minimize risk, and build procurement strategies that are resilient and future-ready.
E&I Cooperative Services is the only member-owned nonprofit group purchasing organization focused exclusively on the education sector. With more than 6,000 member institutions, E&I delivers sourcing solutions that are shaped by the needs and input of its members to ensure agreements are aligned and responsive to member needs.
Unlike general-purpose contracts, E&I’s agreements are written specifically for educational institutions. This focus helps to ensure that contracts comply with grant funding rules, state/federal regulations, and institutional policies unique to education.
By working exclusively with the education sector, E&I develops contracts that anticipate the audit and compliance needs of colleges and universities. The result is a smoother procurement process, with fewer legal or regulatory hurdles to navigate.
But that’s just the beginning of how becoming a member of E&I Cooperative Services helps strengthen the quality of agreements.
E&I’s cooperative structure gives members a voice in what is sourced and why. Member institutions are involved in shaping sourcing priorities and contract development, ensuring that agreements reflect real-world educational needs rather than general business trends.
Whether it’s about a priority on sustainable sourcing or specialized lab equipment, member input ensures contracts support what truly matters to education.
Volume purchasing is the foundation of cost savings in group purchasing, but E&I goes further by offering additional financial benefits. Many contracts include incentives like rebates or tiered discounts based on usage, which go beyond typical savings; members also receive patronage refunds, which are distributed annually based on their purchasing volume.
These built-in benefits help you reduce your immediate costs and return greater value back into your budget.
One of the most valuable GPO provisions is contract flexibility. E&I contracts allow institutions to apply blanket discounts across entire product categories while still purchasing exactly what they need.
Many agreements can be customized beyond the base terms. Whether you need unique delivery schedules, custom configurations, or localized support, the flexibility built into these contracts supports more agile procurement planning.
This kind of flexibility is critical in a time when needs can shift quickly due to fluctuating enrollment, funding changes, or changing technology.
Beyond pricing and terms, E&I supports members throughout the procurement lifecycle.
Educational procurement experts assist with supplier engagement, contract implementation, and usage reporting. Category specialists help strengthen supplier relationships and provide strategic insights based on purchasing trends and industry developments.
This hands-on support ensures that each agreement continues to deliver value over time and not just at signing. E&I helps members maintain procurement strategies that evolve with institutional priorities.
The strongest group purchasing agreements provide ways to save and also include provisions that drive long-term value. Member ownership, rebates, education-specific terms, contract flexibility, and full lifecycle support—these are all key GPO provisions that E&I Cooperative Services provides to elevate procurement from transactional to transformational.
By partnering with a GPO that prioritizes these elements, you can save time, cut costs, and ensure compliance while aligning more closely with your institutional goals.
Ready to unlock exclusive procurement advantages designed specifically for your academic institution? Connect with your E&I representative to explore hundreds of competitively solicited cooperative agreements and discover how member-owned, nonprofit sourcing can maximize your purchasing power while supporting educational excellence.
