Page 12 - College Planning & Management, February 2018

special advertising section
Spring Spending:
Your contracts are ready
How National Joint Powers Alliance® (NJPA) awards contracts to its vendors
Chris Robinson, NJPA procurement manager,
shares insight into NJPA’s process for finding the best possible solutions for its members.
As we enter the spring months, many higher education institutions look to maximize what’s left of their budget. This can be a good time to place orders for items your campus has been considering for a while – things like furniture or flooring. It can also be an opportunity to stock up on bulk consumables, like janitorial and maintenance supplies. Whatever the need – big or small – National Joint Powers Alliance®
(NJPA) likely has an awarded vendor on contract who can help you place an order faster than the traditional procurement process.
“We exist to serve our members,” says Chris Robinson, NJPA procurement manager. “For our Procurement Team, this means conducting national solicitations on behalf of our members to save them time, energy, and resources once they’re ready to buy. Our focus is on bringing our members the best solutions possible so they can focus on what matters most – their students and staff.”
NJPA achieves this by working with the best vendors. Robinson shares insight into how NJPA ensures this.
Q: How many awarded vendors work with NJPA?
A: NJPA has 275 contracts with 260 awarded vendors who provide everything from pencils and pens; to technology, turf, and even vehicles. NJPA also has 243 Indefinite Quantity Construction (ezIQC) contracts in 15 states, allowing colleges and universities of all sizes and types to save time in the construction procurement process.
Our number of contracts and awarded vendors continues to grow as we add resources to our team and can better respond to member needs and inquiries. For example, we currently have six open solicitations and five solicitations in review.
12 | SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION | FEBRUARY 2018