HISTORY
The Cooperative was formed in 1963 when five local school districts in Hamilton County joined together to purchase classroom and office supplies, audio-visual equipment and other common items.
Today, the Cooperative has grown to include 53 public school districts, 81 non-public schools, 3 joint vocational school districts, 1 MRDD, 2 Head Start Programs, 4 educational service centers and 6 other non-profit organizations from southwestern Ohio, northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana.
As a result of this growth, Unified Purchasing Cooperative became a Council of Government (COG) in July 2006 in compliance with Ohio Revised Code Section 167.04.
PURPOSE
The purpose of the Cooperative is to:
- Pool purchasing power in order to obtain the best prices for quality products and services
- Serve as a resource on matters related to purchasing and its relevance in business operations
- Provide in-service programs relative to purchasing, product information and applicable government regulations
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goals and objectives of the Unified Purchasing Cooperative are to:
- Secure quality goods and services at the best prices through open and fair competition
- Secure goods and services in a timely manner that best meets the needs and requirements of its membership
- Ensure product knowledge and understanding of its applications
- Encourage vendor participation
CODE OF ETHICS
The Unified Purchasing Cooperative subscribes to the Code of Ethics set forth by the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Inc. A copy is available upon request through the office of the Cooperative.
SECURING QUALITY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Unified Purchasing Cooperative is a member-driven organization, As such, it is the members that ultimately decide what products and services the Cooperative will make available by identifying common needs and requirements with the educational community.
Once identified, Unified Purchasing Cooperative is responsible for obtaining these products and services at the best price available. To accomplish this, while ensuring open and fair competition, the Cooperative utilizes the competitive sealed bid process.
It is the responsibility of a committee comprised of Cooperative members to review thoroughly and analyze submitted bids and determine award recommendations.
These award recommendations are then presented by the Cooperative Director to the Unified Purchasing Cooperative’s Board of Directors for review and approval.
Solicitations are issued in compliance with applicable federal and state laws.