Beginning March 2021, HighCom Armor will be a contract holder with NASPO, a cooperative purchasing tool where agencies can use the NASPO contract to purchase body armor. HighCom encourages our partners to leverage the Federal, State, Local, and Education contracts it holds for the purpose of ensuring Agencies and Institutions take advantage of the most competitive government direct pricing available through HighCom Armor.
About NASPO
NASPO is a cooperative purchasing tool that is awarded to states, and within those states, agencies can use the NASPO contract to purchase body armor. The contract is used as a tool for manufacturers designated agents/distributors to sell body armor. In 2019, there were 38 active states using the NASPO contract with a total of $38 million in sales through the contract for body armor. As mentioned, HighCom is a contract holder as of March 2021 and is looking forward to offering this contract through our partner Network.
NASPO is a non-profit association dedicated to strengthening the procurement community through education, research, and communication. It is made up of the directors of the central purchasing offices of the 50 states, District of Columbia and territories of the United States. The NASPO purchasing officials provide leadership for professional public purchasing, improve the quality of purchasing and procurement, exchange information, and cooperate to attain greater efficiency and economy.
NASPO Purpose
The NASPO Board of Directors undertook a strategic planning initiative to guide the organization and help inform the leadership’s decision-making. The adopted strategic plan includes five-year objectives and measurements. Since then, leaders, committees, and NASPO staff have implemented the objectives and advanced the strategic priorities. An annual report to the members is produced each year to ensure member engagement in the fulfillment of the strategic plan.
NASPO Values
- NASPO demonstrates Leadership, Excellence and Integrity through:
- Service: Everything we do is for the benefit of the members, states, and the public they serve.
- Sovereignty: We honor states’ sovereignty by recognizing their uniqueness, authority, and autonomy.
- Ethics: We adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.
- Transparency: We operate in an environment that promotes accountability to the members and encourages fair and open competition in public procurement.
- Knowledge: We leverage expertise to provide learning and innovative best practices in public procurement.
- Collaboration: We foster cooperative networking and build strategic partnerships that elevate public procurement.
About NASPO ValuePoint™
NASPO ValuePoint is the contracting arm of “NASPO” the National Association of State Procurement Officials, a unified, nationally focused cooperative alliance aggregating the demand of all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the US Territories, working together to pursue cooperative contracting opportunities and conduct competitive solicitations through the development of multi-state sourcing teams following the procurement laws of the state chosen to lead the procurement.
The sourcing teams develop the request for proposals, evaluate responses and recommend awards to the NASPO ValuePoint Management Board. Once awarded, master agreements are available to all states, their political subdivisions, and other eligible entities.
NASPO ValuePoint provides the highest standard of excellence in public cooperative contracting. By leveraging the leadership and expertise of all states with the purchasing power of their public entities, NASPO ValuePoint delivers best value, reliable, competitively sourced contracts that offer public entities outstanding pricing and value adds.
Since 1993 NASPO ValuePoint has been the cooperative purchasing arm of NASPO (the National Association of State Procurement Officials) encouraging, fostering and guiding the nation’s most significant public contract cooperative.
NASPO FAQ
- How do I find out if my state/entity has signed a Participating Addendum?
- Participating addendums signed by states are posted on the NASPO ValuePoint website. Go to the NASPO homepage and click on your state on the map to see all participating addendums signed by your state. Send an email to [email protected] to find out if your non-state government entity has signed a participating addendum.
- How can my entity (city, county, school district, college, non-profit, etc.) purchase from a NASPO ValuePoint contract?
- If the state you are located in has executed a statewide participating addendum (PA) with one or more NASPO ValuePoint contractors, political subdivisions typically may purchase from the Master Agreement as they would any other state contract. If the state has not executed a statewide PA, political sub-divisions and other eligible entities may have access to NASPO ValuePoint cooperative contracts if the State’s Chief Procurement Official (CPO) approves or has no objection. Please email your request to participate to [email protected] and they will assist you in gaining access to available contracts.
- Can I shop online?
- Most NASPO ValuePoint contractors have a contract ordering website with contract information specific to your state, and you can order directly from their site. Use this link to search by contractor name for their website. If you need help contact [email protected].
- How does the participation process work?
- Participating Addendums are executed between a participating entity and the contractor. The Participating Addendum is a contractual document that binds the contractor and the participating entity to the terms and conditions of the Master Agreement. Participating entities have the flexibility of negotiating additional terms and conditions to meet the unique needs of their state. Negotiation of the Participating Addendum is between the participating entity and the contractor. The Lead State or NASPO ValuePoint generally do not become involved in these negotiations. Once a Participating Addendum is executed, a signed PDF copy must be sent to [email protected].
Please visit NASPO for additional information.