Cooperative Purchasing

CES acts on your behalf as a cooperative, bringing the same economy of scale enjoyed by large organizations to smaller organizations. We serve school districts, nonprofit organizations, and municipalities. 

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Simplify, Save, and Succeed

By joining with CES for purchasing purposes, our clients have realized significant cost savings on all kinds of bids for supplies and services. We take care of the administrative work for the bidding process, saving you time and effort. And we ensure all bids are in accordance with MA Public Procurement laws. 

Cooperative Purchasing Categories

Cooperative Purchasing categories have recently expanded, and now include:

  • General Food
  • Fresh Bread
  • Milk
  • Ice Cream
  • Cafeteria Supplies and Paper Goods
  • School & Art Supplies
  • General Office Supplies
  • Printing and Copying Services
  • Printer, Copier, and Fax Supplies (toner, ink, etc.)
  • Custodial Supplies
Cute little girl in school cafeteria with food tray

What we do for our school district customers is provide the same purchasing power as large metro school districts. That way, our small rural districts can get prices that work for their budgets.

Process and Timeline

Cooperative Purchasing bids happen multiple times per year. Examples include early fall, when general office supplies and printing/copying services are bid; and late December, when custodial supplies and printer/copier/fax supplies are bid, etc. 

CES saves you time by managing the process of identifying vendors and conducting bidding on the items or services targeted so that you can benefit from the lowest possible price at the right time. 

There is a fee to use the food, paper goods, milk, bread, and ice cream categories. This is based on school enrollment and membership in CES. There is no fee for clients to use the remaining bids, which are paid for by the vendors.

Notifications

CES will notify all interested parties about upcoming bids via email. If you would like to receive notifications, please click here to be added to our mailing list.

Invitations for Bids

Check below to see the current active Invitations for Bids. Click each for details.

Invitation for Bids: HR and Payroll Services

Sealed proposals for HR and Payroll Services RFP #PR02CES will be received by The Collaborative ...

For More Information, Contact: 

Henning Ohlenbusch

Henning Ohlenbusc is the procurement coordinator for the CES Cooperative Purchasing program. He administers several yearly bids for participating school districts, human service agencies, and town departments. He manages the process of identifying vendors and conducting bidding on items or services targeted so that participants can benefit from the lowest possible price at the right time. He previously worked in Cooperative Purchasing at the Hampshire Council of Governments and Hampshire County.

Position: Procurement Coordinator

Email: cooperativepurchasing@collaborative.org

Phone: 413.586.4900 x5275

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