Our bid process and contracting procedures meet most state bidding laws with sealed bids and published standards
Stringent standards set apart successful purchasing cooperatives because public agencies want to make sure that their own local policies for procurement are being met. That’s why KPN follows the best practices for bidding and procurement, not only those spelled out in state laws, but through national associations and local boards.
Three words describe KPN’s approach: impartial, competitive, and transparent.
The process starts with clear specifications. The opportunity to bid is offered, not only in required legal advertising, but in other public notices through email, websites, associations, and social media.
Bidding is competitive with requirements for all vendor bids to be sealed and delivered on time to the contracting agency.
KPN is a program of the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit, a political jurisdiction of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Bidding and awards are made under the authority granted by state law and under the local jurisdiction of the CSIU Board of Directors.
Bid are opened and read in public in front of witnesses for added transparency.
Bid evaluation criteria are published within each set of bid documents, and awards are made to the lowest responsive, responsible bidders.
For the purpose of leveraging volume and to achieve lower prices, KPN often cooperates with the Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies (AEPA), a group of 26 state cooperatives that jointly solicit bids, but make local awards.
See a list of KPN contracts that run the gamut from consumable commodities to public works contracts for flooring, roofing, and athletic surfaces.
Successful purchasing cooperatives have unique needs. Mark Carollo has specialized in a niche that requires a comprehensive understanding of technology, ecommerce, specifications, bidding, contract management, and social media. He is the Associate Director of Cooperative Purchasing for CSIU and oversees KPN's regional and national contract initiatives. He is active in the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials. In addition, he serves on the board of directors of the Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies, which has now grown to include 29 state cooperative agencies. Mark has been with the CSIU since 1997 after receiving his degree from Bucknell University.
