When infrastructure is aging and time is short, the traditional procurement process can feel like the biggest barrier to progress. Fortunately, there are faster, compliant ways to get the solutions you need — without reinventing the RFP wheel.
Here’s how cooperative purchasing and alternative procurement paths can help you move quickly, reduce risk, and stay focused on results.
What Is Cooperative Purchasing?
Cooperative purchasing organizations handle the RFP process once — so you don’t have to do it again.
These government-run entities competitively bid and award contracts to vendors for a wide variety of products and services. Agencies like H-GAC, Sourcewell and the Texas BuyBoard allow cities, counties, and districts to “piggyback” off of these contracts.
If your team is stretched thin, this is a game-changer:
- No need to draft an RFP
- No need for lengthy reviews or legal redrafts
- No guesswork — vendors are already vetted and approved
For example, if a municipality needs pipe inspection software, they can purchase directly through a H-GAC awarded-vendor like ITpipes, saving months of procurement time.
Why Use Cooperative Contracts?
- Speed: Go from procurement to project kickoff in weeks, not months.
- Trust: Vendors on cooperative contracts meet strict public-sector standards.
- Savings: Group purchasing means better pricing and volume discounts.
These agreements are especially valuable for agencies with small procurement teams or urgent infrastructure needs.
Other Time-Saving Procurement Options
In addition to cooperative purchasing, there are other lesser-known (but powerful) procurement strategies:
- Piggybacking
Borrow another agency’s competitively awarded contract. If a neighboring city already went through a full RFP process and awarded a vendor, your agency may be able to use that same contract under the same terms. - Sole-Source Justification
If only one provider offers a specific service or technology — and you can document that — you may be able to skip the bidding process altogether. This is often used for highly specialized or patented solutions.
3. Pilot Programs & Phased Implementation
Trying something new? Start with a small-scale pilot to test performance. Or, roll out your solution in phases to minimize risk and secure feedback before a full deployment.
Move Faster Without Cutting Corners
All of these strategies are designed to help agencies move more efficiently — without compromising transparency, fairness, or compliance. The key is knowing your options and partnering with vendors that understand public-sector procurement.
At ITpipes, we’ve helped hundreds of agencies use these alternative paths to get critical inspection solutions in place faster — and without the headaches.
