For public procurement professionals, simplified access to high-quality contracts means amplified community impact.

For the 11th year in a row, Sourcewell has earned the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement (AEP) Award for helping these professionals do just that.

"Public procurement is about more than checking boxes,” said Jeremy Schwartz, Chief Operating and Procurement Officer. “It's about creating better outcomes for agencies and their communities. Our team designs every Sourcewell contract to help public agencies reduce administrative effort and make purchasing more efficient."

The AEP Award recognizes organizational excellence in public procurement. Awardees are selected based on innovation, professionalism, productivity, leadership, and e-procurement practices.

"Public agencies are entrusted with solving some of their communities' most important challenges," said Dr. Chad Coauette, CEO of Sourcewell. "As a fellow public agency, we understand that responsibility. We're proud to work alongside our clients as a trusted partner and problem-solver. Helping agencies navigate procurement challenges lets them focus on community needs. Earning this award for the 11th year in a row reflects the trust our clients place in Sourcewell. It's a testament to the dedication and expertise of our employees."

Sourcewell’s Cooperative Purchasing program gives public employees local dealer access with national buying power. Products and services are often provided through local dealers or representatives. This empowers agencies to buy local and benefit from national-scale contracts and pricing. It keeps taxpayer dollars in their community while improving efficiency and expanding capacity. Sourcewell contracts can be used to buy equipment, office supplies, technology, and services that support local communities.

Established in 1995, the AEP Award, presented by the National Procurement Institute, Inc. (NPI), is open to all public and nonprofit organizations. The program’s comprehensive criteria promote continuous improvement and elevate procurement as a vital contributor to good governance.

View the full 2026 AEP recipients list on the NPI website.

For the ninth 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, 2021, 2022, 2023, and again in 2024.

Agencies earn the AEP Award by demonstrating a commitment to excellence and innovation. This annual program recognizes procurement organizations that hold themselves to the highest standards of professionalism, productivity, e-procurement, and leadership.

“This award validates all of the work we’ve put into continuous improvement and growth,” said Sourcewell CEO Chad Coauette. “We’re honored to be recognized for those efforts. The standards for this award are high, and they don’t just measure one single person’s performance: We have the entire team to thank for it. It truly takes a village.”

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

“It’s one thing to earn this award once. It’s quite another to retain this level of excellence across nearly a decade,” said Jeremy Schwartz, Sourcewell’s chief operating and procurement officer. “Quite a lot has changed in nine years, and staying on top of that change — harnessing it, even — is essential.”

This year, 198 organizations were recognized for excellence in procurement, including:

• 49 counties
• 72 cities
• 16 higher education agencies
• 23 school districts
• 25 special districts
• 5 state or provincial agencies
• 8 additional organizations

This is the 29^th year the NPI has recognized organizations with the annual AEP Award. Click here for a complete list of awardees.

Sourcewell was the only organization in the state of Minnesota to achieve this honor in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and again in 2023.

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 Manager of Procurement Tara Wolff explained that the AEP Award validates organizations that have held themselves to the highest standards in public procurement. The overall criteria throughout the application process 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.

“To retain this level of excellence and show our peers and the industry that we’re consistently performing at this level is extremely important,” Wolff said. “It’s a valuable differentiator for our organization.”

This year, 194 organizations were recognized for excellence in procurement, including:

• 45 counties
• 67 cities
• 17 higher education agencies
• 25 school districts
• 25 special districts
• 5 state or provincial agencies
• 10 additional organizations

This is the 28^th year the NPI has recognized organizations with the annual AEP Award. Click here for a complete list of awardees.

Sourcewell was the only organization in the state of Minnesota to achieve this honor in 2019, 2020, 2021, and again in 2022.

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 Director of Operations and Procurement Jeremy Schwartz explained that the AEP Award validates organizations that have held themselves to the highest standards in public procurement. The overall criteria throughout the application process 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.

“It's a humbling experience to submit our processes and results to the AEP evaluators for critique and appraisal, but the results are worth it in both affirming where we have made progress and also where we have opportunities for improvement,” Schwartz says. “We have a collaborative and cross-functional team that comes together each year to compile the supporting data and craft the narrative responses to the AEP questions. It is very rewarding to see the culmination of these efforts result in achieving this award.”

This year, 171 organizations were recognized for excellence in procurement, including:

• 36 counties
• 73 cities
• 14 higher education agencies
• 17 school districts
• 15 special districts
• 5 state or provincial agencies
• 11 additional organizations

This is the 27^th year the NPI has recognized organizations with the annual AEP Award. Click here for a complete list of awardees. 

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.

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

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.

“Our procurement team works each day to improve our processes,” Austin says. “Receiving the AEP Award affirms that the hard work, and continued pursuit for excellence, shows in our processes and procedures.”

This year, 188 organizations were recognized for excellence in procurement, including:

• Forty counties
• Sixty-nine cities
• Fifteen higher education agencies
• Twenty-two school districts
• Thirty-four special districts
• Five state agencies
• Three additional organizations

This is the 25^th year NPI has recognized organizations with the annual AEP Award. A complete list of recipients can be found at npiconnection.org/aep.

For the fourth year in a row, Sourcewell has been awarded 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.

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 Lead Procurement Analyst Kim Austin explains, the AEP Award validates that organizations 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.

“Our procurement team works each day to improve our processes,” Austin says. “Receiving the AEP Award is confirmation that our efforts are going in the right direction, and we are excited to see what we can do next.”

This year, 202 organizations were recognized for excellence in procurement, including:

• Forty-two counties
• Sixty-seven cities
• Twenty-five higher education agencies
• Twenty-three school districts
• Four state agencies
• Two miscellaneous organizations

This is the 24^th year NPI has recognized organizations with the annual AEP Award. A complete list of recipients can be found at npiconnection.org/aep.