To: Schools and Public Agencies in Oregon | Re: AEPA / IMESD Contracts

The InterMountain Education Service District (IMESD) participates in a national non-profit organization, the Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies (AEPA), which is a procurement vehicle. The mission of IMESD’s involvement with AEPA is to cooperatively serve Oregon public agencies through a continuous effort to explore and solve present and future purchasing needs. AEPA goals include working to secure multi-state volume purchasing contracts with benefits that are measureable, cost-effective and continuously exceed our state member’s expectations. InterMountain Education Service District is the member agency representing Oregon in AEPA through an IMESD board approved Memorandum of Understanding between all participating states that are all political subdivisions related to K-12 education.

All AEPA bids have been advertised by IMESD in Oregon in the Daily Journal of Commerce, as well as the IMESD and AEPA websites. Bi-annual meetings are held where bid categories are determined and responses are evaluated by all AEPA member agencies. After AEPA recommendation for award, individual award for the first year is made by each member agency, including InterMountain Education Service District. By mutual written agreement, the contracts can be extended for three additional 12 month periods after the initial award (Generally approval to expiration cycle runs March 1 thru February 28). InterMountain Education Service District Contracts are then approved by the IMESD board and executed.

Pursuant to Oregon Law, ORS 279A, InterMountain Education Service District is authorized to offer these contracts to other government entities including school districts, state universities, community colleges, special districts, city, county and state government. Provisions provided in these bid solicitations include: instructions to bidders that are required for certain public contracts in Oregon, procedural provisions, and provisions that must be in Oregon public contracts (i.e. prevailing wage rates/Davis-Bacon; resident status of bidder, licensure, bonding, bid security; subcontractor disclosure; drug testing programs). IMESD and its legal counsel have carefully examined all aspects of the program and determined that the requirements for joint cooperative procurement are in fact satisfied.

Under Oregon public contracting rules, each individual public agency will have its own local rules it must adhere to, in addition to statewide public contracting laws. InterMountain Education Service District does not presume that its cooperative purchasing program will necessarily comply with every agency’s internal public contracting rules. We always advise potential customers to review the bid solicitation carefully and recommend review by their legal department and/or procurement personnel to assure that contracting laws are complied with.

There is no fee or annual dues to become a state agency member. InterMountain Education Service District’s contract management efforts are funded by a nominal administrative fee paid by the vendor based on sales volume, the proceeds of which go to serving our regional schools. 

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Rob Naughton, Director of Business Development
Rob.Naughton@imesd.k12.or.us, 541-966-3110