Professionalism. Productivity. Procurement.

For the sixth year in a row, Sourcewell has earned the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement® (AEP) Award by the National Procurement Institute, Inc.

Sourcewell was the only organization in the state of Minnesota to achieve this honor in 2019, 2020, and again in 2021.

Public and nonprofit agencies earn the AEP Award by demonstrating a commitment to procurement excellence. This annual program recognizes procurement organizations that embrace innovation, professionalism, productivity, leadership, and e-Procurement.

Sourcewell Procurement Lead Analyst Kim Austin explained that the AEP Award validates organizations that have held themselves to the highest standards in public procurement. The overall criteria throughout the AEP application measures qualities important to a successful procurement department.

To earn the award each year, the AEP program encourages not only the development of excellence, but also the push for continued improvement.

“We all strive for excellence and are committed to continuous improvement,” Austin says. “Submitting for the AEP award gives us the chance to hold up our processes and procedures for review by a committee outside of our organization. It's exciting to see that our hard work is being recognized.”

This year, 181 organizations were recognized for excellence in procurement, including:

• Forty-one counties
• Sixty-four cities
• Twelve higher education agencies
• Nineteen school districts
• Thirty-six special districts
• Seven state or provincial agencies
• Two additional organizations

This is the 26^th year NPI has recognized organizations with the annual AEP Award. Click here for a complete list of recipients.