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Cooperative purchasing (co-op contracts)

Cooperative purchasing lets a county buy from a contract that another government or a purchasing cooperative has already competitively awarded, instead of running its own bid.

Purchasing cooperatives (national ones like Sourcewell and OMNIA Partners, and state ones like Texas's BuyBoard) run competitive solicitations once and let many public agencies buy from the resulting contracts. State law decides which cooperatives a county may use.

Why it matters to vendors

  • A co-op contract can open sales to many counties without a separate bid each time.
  • Counties may skip a public bid for items available on a co-op contract, so if you aren't on one, you may never see the opportunity.

Also called "piggybacking"

Some counties also buy from another government's contract if that contract allows it. Read our guide to cooperative contracts for vendors.

Last reviewed Oct 30, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Laws and thresholds change; check the current statute and the bid documents.