If you’re part of any government procurement team, you’ve likely been asked, “What are you doing to increase supplier diversity?” It’s also likely you’ve heard of and possibly conducted disparity studies to improve your procurement process and identify the needs of different types of suppliers. … Read More »Why Disparity Studies Aren’t Enough to Improve Supplier Diversity
SEATTLE, March 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DemandStar, the free and easy electronic procurement marketplace for government contracts, announced it has passed 1,000 local governments on the DemandStar platform, accelerating its industry-leading growth. DemandStar achieved a 32% increase in government annual contract value, now totaling over… Read More »Leading Public Sector Online Marketplace Adds 1,000th Local Government, Surpassing $4.6B in Annual Contract Value
Good help can be hard to find. Nobody knows that better than government procurement agents. Trying to staff a multitude of projects all with varying scopes, government procurement agents must often sift through numerous bids to find the perfect contractor for each job. Occasionally, you… Read More »Looking to Neighboring Counties for Contractors
As the nation ramps up for the new school year, government procurement agents may find themselves in the market for educational software that facilitates remote learning. This could be a relatively novel purchase as our focus shifts from in-person to online learning. Many of the… Read More »How to Vet Good Educational Software
Following compliance guidelines is an important part of what a procurement agent does. By adhering to guidelines, they can ensure that their department is free from ill-advised spending, corruption, and fraud. Here are the top five compliance traps that procurement agents should be aware of,… Read More »The Top 5 Compliance Traps Made by Government Procurement Agents
As a government procurement agent, you’re a pro at creating RFPs. But what happens when no one responds? Here are a few tips on how to get bids, when your bid number is zero. Review your ask – Check out your RFP and really look… Read More »What to Do if No One Responds to Your RFP
Government procurement agents have been working overtime securing a wide variety of necessary items. Personal protective equipment (PPE), medical supplies, cleaning supplies, even school supplies such as extra desks and chairs have been needed in greater volume from a variety of state, local, and education… Read More »Need Storage? Find a Place (and a Partner) for Your Excess Equipment
Climate change is a topic that’s on everyone’s mind. Even big automakers are committing to becoming carbon neutral by 2040. The U.S. has also rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement, indicating that (at least for now) the government is focused on limiting global warming, reducing consumption… Read More »Going Green: What Procurement Officers Should Look for in the World of Cleantech
When government procurement agents create a request for proposal (RFP), they’ll want to get back high-quality responses from qualified vendors. This can lead them to make the RFP incredibly detailed. While being detailed is good and can help vendors know what is needed, RPFs that… Read More »All in the Details, and Then Some. When RFPs Are Too Long for Their Own Good.
Maintaining a fleet of vehicles is a colossal responsibility. In the public sector, a fleet could consist of school buses, waste management vehicles, fire engines, police vehicles, animal control trucks, and numerous other types of department vehicles. It’s a lot to keep track of and… Read More »Procurement Strategies for a “Smart Fleet” That Are Safe and Economically Sound