The University is a member of several buying cooperatives. Cooperative purchasing in higher education is a collaborative approach where institutions pool their buying power to negotiate better prices and terms with suppliers. The buyer cooperative definition includes groups of institutions that work together to reduce costs and improve efficiency in procurement. Another term for coop purchasing is “group purchasing” or “collective buying.”
So what is a major advantage of coop purchasing for higher ed institutions? You can start with savings from leveraging aggregated buying power to achieve volume discounts, but the benefits of education purchasing cooperatives go well beyond that. You can significantly streamline your procurement while tapping into industry expertise, complying with your competitive bidding requirements, and so much more.
Below is a list of coops and contract pricing agreements that will help control your budget, streamline your ability to order fast and efficiently, and assurance you are receiving the best price available from those specific vendors who are members. Each cooperative/contract has different vendors available to purchase from. For those faculty and staff members who have been designated to make purchases, please browse the different cooperatives and contact David Brewer, Purchasing Manager, to get signed up.
E&I Marketplace (SewaneeBUY)
Browse - E&I Contract Navigator
OMNIA pARTNERS (opus)
Browse - Omnia Partners Catalog
Sourcewell
Tennessee State contract Pricing (Vendor List)
AMAZON BUSINESS (PCARD ONLY)
Email jdbrewer@sewanee.edu to be added
Walmart Business (PCARD ONLY)
Email jdbrewer@sewanee.edu to be added
