Specifications include, but are not limited to: ABOUT Aspire Works PURCHASING COOPERATIVE (Aspire Works COOP) It is the purpose of this SOLICITATION to establish awarded vendor agreements to satisfy the procurement needs of participating member entities in this particular commodity category. These awarded agreements will enable member entities to purchase on an “as needed” basis from competitively awarded agreements with high performance vendors. Proposers are requested to submit a proposal for offering their line of available products that are commonly purchased by government agencies, cities, counties and educational entities. Awards will be made to the successful proposer(s) for the products and/or services. (Unless proposer has submitted inappropriate items for the commodity category. Those items will not be awarded. Example: a software company may not propose to perform construction work) Aspire Works COOP reserves the right to award multiple vendors for each solicitation. This proposal is requested for the benefit of the current list of members and other new members as they execute Aspire Works COOP membership Agreements in the future. Aspire Works COO Preserves the right to extend the proposal deadline for any reason. Aspire Works COO Preserves the right to make changes to this Solicitation by way of one or more posted addenda. Benefits of Aspire Works COOP Provide government entities opportunities for greater efficiency and economy in acquiring goods and services through competitively procured vendor agreements. Provide comprehensive purchasing practices according to the Laws of the State of Ohio and Federal Regulation 2 CFR part 200, when appropriate, and is designed to result in competitive agreements that meet a wide variety of needs. Provide competitively priced purchasing options for multiple government entities that yield economic benefits usually unobtainable by the individual entity. Provide quick and efficient delivery of goods and services by entering into pricing agreements with “high performance” vendors. Equalized purchasing power for smaller entities. Maintain credibility and confidence in business procedures by maintaining free, full and open competition for purchases and by complying with purchasing laws and ethical business practices. Provide document retention for competitive procurement process for all Aspire Works COOP Awarded Agreements. Customer Service Aspire Works COOP staff is available to members for assistance in viewing/contacting awarded vendors for categories to make purchases and agreement decision. Aspire Works COOP provides a way for government entities to avoid the time and expense of seeking competition for purchases on an agency-by-agency basis. Aspire Works COOP enables vendors to become more efficient and competitive by reducing the number of proposals that require responses to be made to individual entities. Purchasing Procedures Agreements are established through free, full and open competition as described by the laws of the State of Ohio and are available for piggy-back by other government entities anywhere in the United States, subject to each entity’s jurisdictional law and regulation. Purchase orders or equivalent are issued by participating governmental entities directly to the Vendor or vendor assigned dealer. Purchase orders or equivalent are usually sent to the Aspire Works COOP offices where they are reviewed by the Aspire Works COOP staff and forwarded to the Vendor within one working day. In some instances, the entity may send the purchase orders or equivalent directly to the vendor and report the purchase to Aspire Works COOP.
