What is the U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance "GPA"?
U.S. Communities Purchasing & Finance Agency (U.S. Communities) is a non-profit established by local governments to assist public agencies to reduce the cost of purchased goods and finance purchased goods. The National Association of Counties (NACo), the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP), the National League of Cities (NLC) and the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) jointly sponsor the U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance (GPA).
Designed in cooperation with an advisory board of local government purchasing officials, GPA pools the purchasing power of public agencies, achieves bulk volume discounts on behalf of public agencies, competitively bids quality products through a lead public agency and provides a purchasing forum for public agencies nationwide. Over 5,000 public agencies are currently participating.
Locally, U.S. Communities currently enjoys a partnership with the League of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties, directly benefiting cities and counties throughout the state. In 1999 alone, California local governments saved more than $88 million using cooperative purchasing agreements.
Does a school agency have to be a member of U.S. Communities or a sponsor to participate?
No. Any school district or county office of education can participate.
Can my school agency use this program without going out to bid?
The GPA contract has been competitively bid by a single lead agency in accordance with purchasing rules and regulations. The contract contains language which advises all vendors the subsequent contract may be used by other public agencies throughout California. This language is based on the lead jurisdiction ‘Joint Powers Authority' or 'Cooperative Procurement' program. Although each school agency may have different purchasing procedures to follow, applying these competitive principles satisfy the competitive bid requirements in most school agencies.
What is joint powers or cooperative procurement authority?
State statutes and, if applicable, local ordinances generally allow one government agency to purchase from contracts competitively bid by another government agency ('Lead Public Agency'). This, of course, would require the consent of all parties including the vendor, the Lead Public Agency and government agency purchasing from the Lead Public Agency contract. GPA contracts are established to meet both the competitive bid and consent requirements. Generally, a public body may participate in, sponsor, conduct or administer a cooperative procurement agreement with one or more other public bodies or agencies of the United States, for the purpose of combining requirements to increase efficiency or reduce administrative expenses. In some states, this power is not passed on to localities.
How can I obtain copies of the legal documentation associated with each contract?
Visit the U.S. Communities website at www.uscommunities.org and click on "Contracts" located in the left side navigation column.
How much does it cost to participate in the GPA?
There are no costs or fees to any school agency to participate.
How do I get more information about the GPA?
Please contact U.S. Communities at (866) 472-7467 or by e-mail at info@uscommunities.org.