Staples, Minn.,
29
November
2018
|
15:46 PM
Europe/Amsterdam

Sourcewell Earns Validation of UT System Accreditation

Jeremy Schwartz, Sourcewell director of operations and procurement/CPO
Not only are we honored to receive recognition of the value the Sourcewell accreditation continues to provide; we are also humbled to discover additional opportunities to increase the value we provide the University of Texas System.
Jeremy Schwartz, Sourcewell director of operations and procurement/CPO

STAPLES, Minn. (29 November 2018) - For the second consecutive year, the University of Texas System has named Sourcewell an accredited Group Purchasing Organization (GPO).

This accreditation allows all 14 institutions within the University of Texas System access to the 300-plus vendor contracts offered through Sourcewell.

Adopted by the UT System Board of Regents in February 2016, the accreditation program is designed to ensure its institutions use contracts from GPOs who meet the following procurement standards:

  • Established provider with a value-added portfolio of contracts;
  • Open bid policy;
  • Competitive procurement;
  • “Best Value” evaluation and award criteria;
  • Contract management program;
  • Policy of inclusion (e.g., HUBs and minority and women owned business enterprises programs);
  • Compliance with federal procurement requirements; and
  • Transparent procurement practices

According to the University of Texas System, the GPO program's operating procedures were revised in 2017 to incorporate a value component requirement. This component requires a GPO to meet specified quantitative or qualitative criteria to become accredited or maintain accreditation. This is intended to focus usage of GPOs on those entities that have the resources and scale in the marketplace sufficient to optimize the value of master agreements they procure, or otherwise meet unique needs of the institutions. This value component requirement was applied for the first time in the 2018 accreditation cycle.

“This year we were provided the opportunity to validate the value of the Sourcewell accreditation to the University of Texas System,” said Sourcewell Director of Operations and Procurement Jeremy Schwartz. “Not only are we honored to receive recognition of the value the Sourcewell accreditation continues to provide; we are also humbled to discover additional opportunities to increase the value we provide the University of Texas System. Sourcewell is committed to innovation and continuous improvement, and finds procurement process evaluations such as the University of Texas GPO accreditation and the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement through the National Procurement Institute invaluable for generating the insight necessary for continued improvement.”

The accreditation is valid through August 31, 2021, at which time Sourcewell can reapply.

About Sourcewell

Sourcewell (formerly National Joint Powers Alliance) is a self-supporting government organization, partnering with education, government, and nonprofits to boost student and community success. Created in 1978 as one of Minnesota's nine service cooperatives, we offer training and shared services to our central-Minnesota members. Throughout North America, we offer a cooperative purchasing program with over 300 awarded vendors on contract. Sourcewell is driven by service and the ability to strategically reinvest in member communities.