Click here to see a short informational video

Click here to view overview of the CBA Cooperative Purchasing Programs

Nationally Bid, Locally Awarded Cooperative Purchasing Contracts

The Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies (AEPA)  was formed in 2000 and the Colorado BOCES Association (CBA) joined  AEPA in 2001.  The AEPA current membership of 29 states represents a total student enrollment of over 26 million students.  The purpose of  AEPA is to combine purchasing power to allow all school districts, large and small, the best educational prices available on products and services There are no membership requirements or fees required to utilize the Colorado BOCES cooperative purchasing contracts.

All biding laws of the 29 member states are covered in the bids issued by the AEPA and the bids have been advertised in at least one major publication in each member state.  AEPA meets two times per year, spring and winter.  The categories for the upcoming bids are decided at the Spring meeting, the bids are then prepared, advertised and published and the AEPA reviews and approves the bid responses at the December meeting.  Each individual state then reviews the approved bids and issues contracts to the appropriate vendors, making those contract available through their state cooperatives.

Currently the AEPA has 31 active bids.  Each bid is valid for one year with three one year extensions available upon review.  At the end of the fourth year the category may or may not be re-bid.

Following is a listing of the contracts available to all Colorado School Districts through the Colorado BOCES Association.  This listing also contains contact information for each vendor as well as description of the companies, ordering procedures and other pertinent information.

If you need additional information please do not hesitate to contact  the Colorado BOCES Director of Cooperative Purchasing:

Ed Vandertook
970-314-3753
coopdir@coloradoboces.org

OR

www.aepacoop.org

The Colorado BOCES/AEPA contracts are also available to any educational facility, governmental agency, or non-profit organization in Colorado according to your local procurement policies and procedures.