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.

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.

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.

Offering a variety of solutions and resources for the fleet industry, four vendors have been awarded contracts in the Fleet Management Services category at Sourcewell.

Sourcewell (formerly NJPA), a national cooperative purchasing organization, awarded the contracts following a nationwide competitive solicitation process. These contracts offer acquisition of all vehicle types through lease or financing options. Additional options offered after acquisition include aftermarket vehicle customization, maintenance, fuel management, telematics, short term rentals, and vehicle resale.

“I'm really excited about this category,” said Sourcewell contract administrator Scott Carr. “The vendors' progressive approach to fleet management and leasing of assets will create life-cycle cost savings and efficiencies for our members. Regardless of the vehicle type or size of fleet, we have a solution to meet our members' needs.”

Purchasing off a contract streamlines the procurement process for public entities resulting in a savings of time and money.

Effective July 24, 2018, these contracts are available to all Sourcewell members throughout the United States and Canada.