The Simply Smarter Blog

It’s no secret that RFPs are time consuming. In fact, according to a 2023 RFP Trends & Benchmarks Report, writing an RFP response takes an average of 32 hours to complete – and writing it is only half the battle. Even those who benefit from their purchasing department's hard work know the laborious hours that go into vetting vendors and getting a piece of technology into their school or office. But if you're a school, government agency, or non-profit, here's some great news: you can buy technology from a national contract with pre-negotiated pricing! One such national contract is Sourcewell, a cooperative purchasing contract for education, government, and non-profits, that streamlines procurement, saving both time and money – and who doesn’t need more of those?

Reliable technology is essential for local government operations. Agencies must balance efficiency, functionality, and reliability to serve residents effectively. Modern printing, document management, and audio/visual solutions provide the storage, processing power, and capabilities needed to handle time-sensitive work, maintain high-quality outputs, and ensure transparency, helping staff focus on public service and better meet community needs.

Government, education, and nonprofit organizations can overcome budget and staffing constraints by using cooperative purchasing. Cooperative contracts are competitively bid and pre-negotiated, allowing members to buy goods and services efficiently and cost-effectively, while complying with procurement regulations. By leveraging collective buying power, organizations gain access to technology, office equipment, and other solutions without the need to issue their own bids, making procurement faster, simpler, and more reliable.