||May 20, 2013| Home > Cooperative Purchasing > Overview COG
initiated its Cooperative Purchasing Program in 1971 with the
basic objective of reducing costs through economies of scale
created through volume buying. By taking advantage of the
combined purchasing power of participating jurisdictions
(estimated at more than $2 million annually), volume buying
works to the advantage of the jurisdictions and their taxpayers.
Through the Chief Purchasing Officers Committee, participating
agencies, school boards, authorities, and commissions combine
bidding requirements for more than 20 different purchases,
resulting in larger volume and better unit pricing. COG
estimates that participants in the Program save in excess of $2
million annually. They save additional dollars on administrative
expenses by substantially reducing the paperwork associated with
competitive procurement. For example, in a cooperative gasoline
purchase for 28 participating jurisdictions, only one invitation
for bids (IFB) was issued. Cooperativ