Title
Cooperative Purchasing Contract for Citywide Office Supplies
Action
Action:
A. Approve the purchase of office supplies from a cooperative contract,
B. Approve a unit price contract with American Office Products Distributors, Inc. for the purchase of office supplies for a term of two years under NCPA, an OMNIA Partners Company, contract #11-18, and
C. Authorize the City Manager to extend the contract for additional terms as long as the cooperative contract is in effect, at prices and terms that are the same or more favorable than those offered under the cooperative contract.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Phil Reiger, General Services
Marcy Mars, General Services
Explanation
§ The city requires a variety of office supplies and products including paper, toner, binders, pens, filing and storage products.
§ American Office Products Distributors, Inc. (AODP) utilizes a network of independent dealers that consists only of small businesses.
§ Forms & Supply, Inc., DBA FSIoffice (WBE) is the local, Charlotte-based dealer for the AODP contract and is a North Carolina HUB-certified SWBE and nationally certified WBENC.
§ NC General Statute Section 143-129(e)(3) allows local governments to purchase from formally organized cooperative purchasing contracts.
§ A cooperative purchasing agreement results from the consolidation and competitive solicitation of multiple public agency requirements. By aggregating common needs all agencies are able to leverage economies of scale, such as volume discounts, improved terms and conditions, reduced administrative costs, and access to professional and technical expertise.
§ Annual expenditures are estimated to be $625,000.
Charlotte Business INClusion
Forms and Supply, Inc., DBA FSIoffice is a city certified WBE.
These are cooperative purchasing contracts and are exempt (Part A: Appendix 1.27 of the Charlotte Business INClusion Policy).
Fiscal Note
Funding: Departments’ Operating Budgets