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The E&I Economic Benefit ModelTM
A Procurement Gamechanger for Higher Education and K-12

Enrollment is down. Budgets are frozen. Every decision carries more weight. Every minute is stretched. And every dollar matters more than ever. All of these pressures can feel completely overwhelming.

For more than 90 years, and as former procurement officers, we’ve helped more than 6,200 education institutions, like yours, with best- practice sourcing, strategy, and solutions customized for the unique needs of education. We can help you!

Leverage E&I’s Economic Benefit ModelTM that quantifies total overall value

Save an average of
4-10% on every
contract

Gain financial
stewardship, stability,
and control

Work with a partner
you can trust

E&I’s Economic Benefit ModelTM (EBM) is unique in the cooperative marketplace. The EBM takes a holistic approach to the overall value delivered to your school’s procurement supply chain. It focuses not just on savings – but on the Total Economic Benefit delivered. This benefit comprises the following key supporting pillars:

  • Cost Reduction​​
  • Cost Avoidance ​​
  • Incentives​​ & Revenue

E&I’s Economic Benefit Model is a key component of every E&I contract and typically delivers overall cost savings in the range of 4-10% or higher.

E&I delivers strong economic benefit. Why go it alone?

With E&I’s Economic Benefit Model,
You Will:

  • AVOID cost uncertainty on key products and services
  • AVOID RFP-associated cost and resource drain
  • AVOID the stresses and complexities of supplier management
  • AVOID overwhelming your staff, and employee burnout
  • AVOID underserving campus stakeholders and delivering poor customer experience
  • AVOID leaving money on the table with suppliers
  • AVOID a litany of indirect costs (issuing/awarding RFPs, negotiation, tactical work, and more)
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The E&I Economic Benefit Model

How to get started

Find Your E&I Rep

Participate in a
Complimentary, No-
Risk Consultation

Gain a
Comprehensive
Understanding of Your
Savings Opportunities

Feel Better with a
Partner Who Has
Your Back

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The E&I Cooperative Services Difference

Education: Sourcing. Strategy. Savings®

You don’t have to go it alone. At no cost, you will:

  • Gain access to discounted pricing using the leverage of thousands of other educational institutions, with contracts designed specifically for education
  • Align with best-in-class contracts in minutes, not weeks and months
  • Save an average 4-10% on every contract – while knowing your Total Economic Benefit upfront
  • Gain better financial stewardship, with improved visibility, stability, and control
  • Reduce cost, risk, and complexity in the procurement process
  • Maximize revenue potential – through patronage, rebates, and incentives
  • Elevate your organization’s strategic value on campus – and gain influence in the C-suite
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What Our Members Say

“What stands out to me about E&I’s Economic Benefit Model is its ability to clearly demonstrate the measurable impact of cooperative purchasing. By providing members with a reliable and transparent estimate of both cost savings and added value, it not only validates the benefits we see in practice but also strengthens our ability to communicate that value within our institutions. It’s a practical, data-driven tool that helps us make more informed procurement decisions.”

Rachael E. Capo, Esq.
Director of Procurement Services, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

“I appreciate that the Economic Benefit Model was shaped with member input. It reflects the cooperative spirit of E&I and ensures the numbers presented are both reliable and meaningful.”

Ryan Balber
Director, Virginia Higher Education Procurement Consortium

Economic Benefit Model: FAQs

The E&I Economic Benefit Model (EBM) is a tool designed to help education procurement teams measure and communicate the Total Economic Benefit (TEB) of their sourcing decisions. It focuses on three core areas of value:

  • Cost Reduction
  • Cost Avoidance
  • Incentives and Revenue

These benefits are calculated using baseline cost comparisons supported by historical data, market benchmarks, vendor quotes, industry case studies, and other relevant inputs.

We understand that our members have a wide range of procurement options. The EBM is intended to provide a clear, practical view of the value delivered through E&I contracts. It is designed to reflect benefits that go beyond what is typically achieved through direct agreements or most group purchasing organizations.

No – there is absolutely no cost to our members. E&I’s Economic Benefit Model is built into every E&I contract at inception – and represented as a Total Economic Benefit or TEB.

1. Cost Reduction

These are direct savings achieved through better pricing and supplier performance.

  • Savings
    Reductions in unit costs or total spend achieved through competitively solicited contracts, competitive pricing, or strategic sourcing.
  • Active Supplier Management
    Ongoing collaboration with suppliers to improve pricing, service levels, compliance, and overall value throughout the contract lifecycle. 

2. Cost Avoidance

These are costs that would have been incurred but were prevented through strategic procurement practices.

  • RFP Costs
    Administrative and personnel costs avoided by not issuing, managing, and awarding a formal Request for Proposal (RFP), based on industry benchmarks like the NCPP study.
  • Price Increases Avoided
    Cost increases that were prevented through contract terms that lock in pricing or limit annual price escalations.
  • Market Adjustments / Negotiated Price Caps
    Savings achieved by capping price increases or negotiating pricing that adjusts below prevailing market trends.

3. Incentives & Revenue

These are financial benefits received as a result of program participation or cooperative membership.

  1. Rebates
    Cash-back or credit incentives earned based on purchasing volume or contract terms.
  2. Revenue Generation
    Revenue received through contracts that offer financial incentives in exchange for exclusive access, rights, participation terms, or other shared revenue arrangements.
  3. Patronage & Certificates of Equity
    Distributions to members, including patronage refunds and certificates of equity that reflect ownership and participation.

Yes. The Economic Benefit Model has been applied on all E&I contracts to yield a Total Economic Benefit. You will find the EBM Statement with TEB on each contract’s microsite near the top of the page (see screenshot).

The EBM is designed to illustrate the typical value a member can expect to gain by using our contracts. This value includes cost reduction, cost avoidance, incentives, and revenue. Your results may vary depending on your willingness to engage with our business partners to fully leverage the savings and value-added features of our contracts.

E&I’s standard baseline for Total Economic Benefit delivered is in the range of 4-10%. Actual TEB delivered will vary by contract.

We recommend contacting your E&I Member Representative. You can reach out to them directly or through this form.

Generally, you will be working with your assigned Member Representative (or Sourcing Consultant). Your Member Representative may bring in additional resources as needed, including analysts, contract managers, and category leaders.

The EBM methodology has been tested extensively and validated with members of our Strategic Advisory Board as well as other members. We have also collaborated closely with our business partners to validate the data being used. Additionally, we leverage insights from internal benchmarking and analytics to ensure accuracy and reliability.

No. Each individual contract will have its own respective TEB estimate based on our advanced calculations. Typically, this will be in a range, represented as X-Y%.

E&I uses results from a respected 2024 study completed by National Cooperative Procurement Partners (NCPP) to assign a cost to issuing and managing an RFP. Members can avoid this cost by adopting a competitively solicited E&I contract and forgoing their own RFP.

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