Jericho, N.Y., June 4, 2025 – E&I Cooperative Services (E&I), the only member-owned, non-profit sourcing cooperative exclusively focused on education, is proud to announce that it has been honored with the 2025 ISM Supply Chain Trailblazer Award for Procurement Transformation, in partnership with GEP —a global leader in procurement and supply chain solutions.
This recognition celebrates the results of a major transformation initiative that redefined E&I’s procurement framework. Through the partnership with GEP, E&I significantly reduced sourcing timelines while doubling year-over-year procurement output. The new sourcing model preserves rigorous public procurement standards and enables the Cooperative to deliver faster, smarter outcomes to its more than 6,000 member institutions.
“This award reflects the bold steps we’ve taken to modernize our approach and provide even greater value to our members,” said Jill Schunk, Vice President, Strategic Alliances at E&I. “Our partnership with GEP has allowed us to implement more efficient, data-driven processes that strengthen the Cooperative and ultimately help educational institutions make better use of every dollar.”
The transformation focused on operational efficiency, cross-functional alignment, and enhancing internal capabilities through structured training and new tools. In its first year, the initiative led to the execution of 12 major sourcing projects and the awarding of 41 new contracts, 40% of which were awarded to diverse suppliers.
The ISM Supply Chain Trailblazer Awards recognize organizations that are advancing supply chain excellence through innovation, leadership, and measurable impact. GEP received two honors this year, with its work with E&I earning the Procurement Transformation award, and its engagement with Smurfit Westrock receiving recognition in the Supply Chain Consulting category.
For more information on E&I Cooperative Services and its partnership with GEP, please visit www.eandi.org.
About E&I Cooperative Services
E&I Cooperative Services (E&I) is the only member-owned, non-profit procurement cooperative exclusively focused on serving higher education and K-12 institutions. E&I delivers unsurpassed value and an exceptional experience to its members through a broad portfolio of competitively solicited contracts with industry-leading suppliers and innovative sourcing solutions. The Cooperative empowers its members to make informed, analytics-driven decisions to capture more spending and optimize their education dollars. In addition, E&I offers strategic spend assessments, eProcurement solutions, supplier diversity programs, virtual and in-person education, and webinars and podcasts that advance the industry. For more information, please visit www.eandi.org.
About GEP
GEP delivers transformative AI-driven procurement and supply chain software, services and consulting solutions that help global enterprises become more agile and resilient, operate more efficiently and effectively, gain competitive advantage, boost profitability and increase shareholder value. Headquartered in Clark, New Jersey, GEP has offices and operations centers across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. www.gep.com
Media Contacts
Nicole Katz
Sr. Manager, Marketing Content & Communications
E&I Cooperative Services
631.630.8294 | nkatz@eandi.org
Derek Creevey
Director, PR
GEP
646.276.4579 | derek.creevey@gep.com
