{"id":74,"date":"2026-03-06T08:59:59","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T13:59:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/business-and-financial-services\/?page_id=74"},"modified":"2026-03-11T14:47:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T18:47:31","slug":"group-purchasing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/business-and-financial-services\/operations-services\/purchasing\/group-purchasing\/","title":{"rendered":"Group Purchasing Organizations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns sidebar is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:45rem\">\n<p>The University belongs to several Group Purchasing Organizations (GPO) that negotiate favorable contracts on behalf of their members. Utilizing participating vendors will usually result in cost savings. The cost savings can be significant so all purchasers should explore purchasing goods and services through these programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please keep in mind the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Prices obtained through these GPO programs are usually, but not always, the lowest available. These prices should be considered the \u201cceiling price\u201d \u2013 the highest amount we should pay for a product or service. Selecting one of the participating vendors is not a substitute for exercising due diligence in researching pricing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Many GPO vendors provide free shipping\/freight which could make an overall purchase cheaper even if the individual items are not discounted.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In some cases, Clark has negotiated lower prices than are available through these groups. Please check the purchasing web site or consult the Director of Purchasing &amp; Auxiliary Services.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don\u2019t assume that vendors participating in these programs are automatically giving you the contracted price.&nbsp;<strong>In order to be sure you are getting the discounted rates, you should request the appropriate pricing<\/strong>&nbsp;(MHEC, E &amp; I, OMNIA). In some cases, vendors have contracts with more than one GPO, in which case you should request all prices and choose the lowest one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>Massachusetts Higher Education Consortium (MHEC)<\/summary>\n<p>MHEC is a nonprofit purchasing consortium established in 1977 serving higher education, municipalities, K -12 schools. libraries and other nonprofits with an educational focus.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>Educational and Institutional Cooperative Purchasing (E &amp; I)<\/summary>\n<p>Educational &amp; Institutional Cooperative Service, Inc. is a member owned, non-profit sourcing cooperative exclusively focused on serving the education community.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><nav class=\"is-vertical wp-block-navigation is-content-justification-stretch is-layout-flex wp-container-core-navigation-is-layout-2c14e10a wp-block-navigation-is-layout-flex\" aria-label=\"Purchasing submenu\"><ul class=\"wp-block-navigation__container  is-vertical wp-block-navigation\"><li class=\" wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/business-and-financial-services\/operations-services\/purchasing\/copiers-and-multi-function-printers\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Copiers and multi-function printers<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\" wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/business-and-financial-services\/operations-services\/purchasing\/employee-discounts\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Employee discounts<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\" wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/business-and-financial-services\/operations-services\/purchasing\/entertainment-and-gift-policy\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Entertainment and gift policy<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\" wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/business-and-financial-services\/operations-services\/purchasing\/group-purchasing\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Group purchasing<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\" wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/business-and-financial-services\/operations-services\/purchasing\/policies-and-procedures\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Policies and procedures<\/span><\/a><\/li><li data-wp-context='{ \"submenuOpenedBy\": { \"click\": false, \"hover\": false, \"focus\": false }, \"type\": \"submenu\", \"modal\": null, \"previousFocus\": null }' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/navigation\" data-wp-on--focusout=\"actions.handleMenuFocusout\" data-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.handleMenuKeydown\" data-wp-on--mouseenter=\"actions.openMenuOnHover\" data-wp-on--mouseleave=\"actions.closeMenuOnHover\" data-wp-watch=\"callbacks.initMenu\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"wp-block-navigation-item has-child open-on-hover-click wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/business-and-financial-services\/operations-services\/purchasing\/purchasing-resources\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Purchasing resources<\/span><\/a><button data-wp-bind--aria-expanded=\"state.isMenuOpen\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.toggleMenuOnClick\" aria-label=\"Purchasing resources submenu\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-icon wp-block-navigation-submenu__toggle\" ><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M1.50002 4L6.00002 8L10.5 4\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><ul data-wp-on--focus=\"actions.openMenuOnFocus\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-container wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><li class=\" wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/business-and-financial-services\/operations-services\/purchasing\/purchasing-resources\/hotels-and-lodging\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Hotels and Lodging<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\" wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/business-and-financial-services\/operations-services\/purchasing\/smartbuy-plus\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">SmartBuy Plus<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\" wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/business-and-financial-services\/operations-services\/purchasing\/transportation-for-hire\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Transportation for hire<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\" wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/business-and-financial-services\/operations-services\/purchasing\/travel-policy\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Travel policy<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\" wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/business-and-financial-services\/operations-services\/purchasing\/vendor-listing\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Vendor Listing<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group section is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns contact-area is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:42%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover has-custom-content-position is-position-bottom-left\" style=\"padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-399 size-large\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/business-and-financial-services\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/126\/Clark_University_Sign_Oct_15_2025-002-1024x683.avif\" data-object-fit=\"cover\"\/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim wp-block-cover__gradient-background has-background-gradient has-gradient-2-gradient-background\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-cover-is-layout-639b5052 wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\"><div style=\"color:var(--clarku-color-white)\" class=\"eyebrow  has-text-align-left\">Contact information<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color has-small-font-size wp-elements-2c498b71ecbe4b8c80563d32996469f5\" id=\"h-purchasing-office\">Purchasing Office<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group contact-text has-light-warm-gray-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>Contact information<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"icon tel has-small-font-size\">1-508-421-3839<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Office location<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"icon clock\">Monday \u2013 Friday<br>9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The University belongs to several Group Purchasing Organizations (GPO) that negotiate favorable contracts on behalf of their members. Utilizing participating vendors will usually result in cost savings. The cost savings can be significant so all purchasers should explore purchasing goods and services through these programs. Please keep in mind the following:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":26,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-74","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Group Purchasing Organizations | Business and Financial Services | Clark University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/business-and-financial-services\/operations-services\/purchasing\/group-purchasing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Group Purchasing Organizations\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The University belongs to several Group Purchasing Organizations (GPO) that negotiate favorable contracts on behalf of their members. Utilizing participating vendors will usually result in cost savings. The cost savings can be significant so all purchasers should explore purchasing goods and services through these programs. 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