Cooperative Purchasing for Technology: How Sourcewell Contracts Work for Illinois Facilities

For public entities — school districts, municipalities, county governments, public hospitals, and state agencies — procurement of technology services typically requires a formal competitive bidding process. RFPs are expensive to issue, slow to execute, and create uncertainty for both the buyer and the vendor. Cooperative purchasing contracts solve this problem by allowing public entities to "piggyback" on competitively bid contracts that were awarded to vendors like Nexus by a lead agency.

How Cooperative Purchasing Works

A cooperative purchasing organization (CPO) — like Sourcewell, OMNIA Partners, or the Illinois Intergovernmental Risk Management Association (IRMA) — conducts a competitive RFP process on behalf of thousands of member agencies. When a vendor like Nexus is awarded a contract through that process, any member of the CPO can purchase from that contract at the pre-negotiated pricing, without issuing their own RFP.

This is legal in Illinois under the Illinois Procurement Code (30 ILCS 500/25-15), which explicitly permits public bodies to procure goods and services through joint purchasing programs operated by other governmental bodies.

What Nexus Offers Through Cooperative Contracts

Nexus Communications Technology is confirming cooperative contract vehicles for the categories below. Award numbers are published only after they are publicly verifiable. Request a contract-price quote and we will confirm whether a vehicle applies to your scope:

• **Managed ICT Services** (networking, wireless, WAN/SD-WAN)
• **Physical Security Systems** (IP CCTV, access control, emergency call)
• **Healthcare Technology** (nurse call systems, RTLS, clinical communications)
• **Audio-Visual & Digital Signage** (dvLED, LCD video walls, collaboration systems)
• **Low Voltage Construction** (structured cabling, fiber, outside plant)

Who Can Use Cooperative Contracts

In Illinois, eligible entities typically include: school districts (K-12 and higher education), municipalities and townships, county governments, state agencies, public libraries, public hospitals and health systems, park districts, and most 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that receive public funding.

The Procurement Process

Using a cooperative contract with Nexus is straightforward: 1. Tell us which cooperative, GPO, or schedule you can use so we can confirm a live award number for the category 2. Contact Nexus to confirm eligibility and request a quote 3. Issue a purchase order referencing the cooperative contract number 4. No separate RFP required

Limitations

Cooperative contracts do not eliminate the requirement for a written scope of work and documentation. They also do not cover construction work subject to Illinois Prevailing Wage Act requirements (though Nexus complies with prevailing wage on all covered projects regardless).

Contact Nexus's procurement team to verify current contract availability and get a quote for your agency.