Imagine this scenario (although in all likelihood, this has happened to you in real life, so you don’t need to imagine). Your agency desperately needs equipment (like HighCom Armor plates, carriers, and shields, for example). You do the research, find and price the gear that will best suit your needs, and present this to your higher-ups for approval. Then, one of two outcomes occurs.
- Outcome #1: You get told you simply don’t have the budget to accommodate the purchase you’re proposing. Maybe next year. Then next year turns into two years, three years, or more.
- Outcome #2: You actually get approval and press on with putting your proposal out to bid. You get excited about the new HighCom Armor equipment your agency is about to get—until you find out the bid was awarded to a company with a sub-par version of what you wanted because it was a lower bid.
Either outcome is not ideal. We can change that.
Cooperative Agency Cooperative Purchasing Options
Our goal at HighCom Armor is to get agencies like yours the equipment you want and need through the path of least purchasing resistance. That’s why we’ve partnered with companies like Sourcewell, Canoe, and NCL Government Capital.
These companies are experts at providing cooperative purchasing options and solutions specifically tailored to government agencies, particularly state and local agencies like yours.
Let’s delve further into each of these companies and how they can help you avoid either of the aforementioned scenario outcomes.
Sourcewell: Purchasing Power In Numbers
Sourcewell is a cooperative purchasing group that aggregates the purchasing power of more than 80,000 agencies to negotiate best pricing and best terms contracts with its suppliers.
Simply put, there is power in numbers. Sourcewell’s large membership base gives it leverage to negotiate because of volume purchasing potential. As a single agency, you likely don’t have the same leverage to qualify for the discounted pricing a Sourcewell contract offers.
As a Sourcewell member (membership is free, by the way), all of Sourcewell’s pre-negotiated contracts are available to your agency. You can use those contracts to purchase equipment, office supplies, technology, and other goods. Our entire product line is accessible via the Sourcewell contract, and we offer its members a 30 percent discount off MSRP. If you’re looking to outfit your agency with carriers, plates, helmets, shields, soft armor, or even accessories, the Sourcewell contract is your one-stop shop for easy purchasing at the best price.
How Easy Is It?
All you have to do to get started is sign up to be a Sourcewell member. It’s quick, simple, and free. Once approved, typically in less than 24 hours, you can start buying at specially contracted rates.
You can continue to contact HighCom Armor directly to purchase via the Sourcewell contract. Let us know you’re a member, and we’ll take care of the rest. However, if you prefer to purchase directly through Sourcewell, you have that option as well.
What About The Bid Process?
Sourcewell has already taken care of the bid process for you. Since Sourcewell has preemptively negotiated contracts with suppliers, you’re able to satisfy competitive bidding requirements. This frees up your time and limits your stress.
The typical bid process looks like this:
- Spec out equipment
- Advertise bid
- Bid response period
- Bid opening
- Bid evaluation
- Award lowest bidder
- Protest period
- Issue PO
- Equipment delivery
- Payment remittance
The Sourcewell process looks like this:
- Spec out equipment
- Issue PO
- Equipment delivery
- Payment remittance
Can Your Agency Trust Sourcewell?
Sourcewell employees are government employees just like you. They like to think of themselves as ‘government helping government,’ whereas some for-profit organizations might not always have your best interest at heart.
If you have questions about whether or not your agency is eligible to use the Sourcewell contract, or you have other specific questions about Sourcewell, please reach out to their administrators of the HighCom contract.
Canoe: Sourcewell’s Canadian Co-Op Purchasing Group
For Canadians, Canoe is an extension of Sourcewell that serves MASH customers: municipalities, academia, schools, and hospitals. Canoe was officially launched in 2021 and is available throughout most of Canada.
Canoe currently has more than 5,000 public and not-for-profit agency members to strengthen its group purchasing power. These members purchase more than $300 million per annum.
While there might be slight nuances that differ between Canadian and U.S. laws in regard to cooperative purchasing, there are more similarities, and the process is essentially the same as with Sourcewell customers.
Once an agency has signed up for free membership, they are eligible for pre-negotiated contract rates and can also satisfy the competitive bid process, because it’s already been done by Canoe. So again, the purchasing process looks like this: select your product, issue PO, equipment is delivered, remit payment.
If you have questions regarding Canoe and whether your agency is eligible for membership, reach out to a Canoe representative who will be happy to assist. Just like with Sourcewell, our entire product line is available through the Canoe contract.
Show Me The Money: NCL Government Capital Can Do Just That
It’s disheartening when you’ve put together a solid proposal for your agency, but your budget derails your purchasing power. This is where creative financing from NCL Government Capital can help.
NCL Government Capital is uniquely positioned to help agencies like yours and specifically offers tax-exempt municipal financing. They are also a trusted partner of HighCom Armor and Sourcewell.
What Is Tax-Exempt Municipal Financing?
Tax-exempt municipal financing is specifically offered to government agencies so they can acquire necessary equipment now through various types of payment options that work within an agency’s budget. Some payment option examples include deferred payments and no or low-interest plans.
Paying for gear over time doesn’t cause the massive spike in a budget like a large purchase typically does. Instead, it stretches out the purchase over an extended period, making it much more manageable and likely to pass budget approval. Tax-exempt municipal leases are, in reality, more like a loan than traditional leases.
What Are The Other Benefits of an NCL Government Capital Lease?
Besides the low or no interest rates we’ve already mentioned, there are many other benefits to a tax-exempt municipal lease. These include: no long-term debt, no need for public voter approval, and immediate ownership and delivery of gear. Most uniquely, there is a non-appropriation clause included, and we will explain that in more detail.
What Is a Non-Appropriation Clause and Why Does It Matter?
First, it’s important to understand what makes the NCL Government Capital cooperative purchasing option a lease rather than a loan. While loans might require the approval of voters, leases typically do not. The inclusion of a non-appropriation clause differentiates a lease from a loan.
Each year, your agency budgets its expenditures for the following year. This is a requirement. If, for some reason, the lease payments do not make it into the budget for the next year after your agency has already acquired the equipment, you can return the equipment and cancel the lease without a penalty.
While the non-appropriation clause is rarely triggered, it’s beneficial to have the option.
NCL Government Capital and Competitively Bid Financing
Some states are starting to mandate competitively bid financing. New Jersey is currently one of them, and others are likely to follow suit.
Chris Carey, NCL Government Capital’s Public Safety Account Executive, explains it like this, “If you buy the money to buy the equipment, you need to have that money competitively bid in order to meet best practices.”
Competitively bid financing is considered best practice, and NCL Government Capital offers the only competitively bid contract through Sourcewell.
How Does The Process Work?
The process to apply for a tax-exempt municipal lease through NCL Government Capital is fairly straightforward. For our gear, you can purchase through the Sourcewell contract and let your representative know you are interested in a tax-exempt municipal lease. Our representatives will work with NCL Government Capital to create a customized financing option to suit your agency’s budget capabilities.
Once approved, NCL Government Capital processes immediate payment to the vendor, so there is no delay in getting critical equipment.
If you are interested in seeing what your lease payments might look like for budgeting purposes, you can check out this payment calculator.
If you’d like to discuss your options directly with NCL Government Capital, you can contact them here.
HighCom Armor Is Here to Help
If you want to take advantage of the cooperative purchasing options we’ve mentioned, we are always here to help in any way we can. Your protection is of our utmost importance, which is why we want to make our equipment accessible to you, so do not hesitate to contact us to discuss Sourcewell, Canoe, NCL Government Capital, or any of our other purchasing options.