OMNIA Partners
OMNIA Partners is the largest purchasing cooperative in the United States, offering competitively solicited contracts to both public and private sector buyers across major spending categories.
What Is OMNIA Partners?
OMNIA Partners is the largest cooperative purchasing organization in the United States. It offers competitively solicited contracts to government agencies, school districts, higher education institutions, and private sector companies across a wide range of product and service categories.
What distinguishes OMNIA Partners from other cooperatives is its dual public-private model. While Sourcewell and NASPO ValuePoint serve only public entities, OMNIA Partners also serves private sector businesses, which means vendors on OMNIA contracts can sell to both government and corporate buyers through a single contract vehicle.
How OMNIA Partners Works
OMNIA Partners operates through a network of lead public agencies that run competitive solicitations. The process follows standard cooperative purchasing principles:
- A lead public agency issues a competitive solicitation. The lead agency (a city, county, or state entity) runs a full RFP process on behalf of OMNIA Partners members.
- Vendors are evaluated and awarded. The lead agency evaluates proposals and awards contracts based on published criteria.
- OMNIA Partners makes the contract available nationally. Once awarded by the lead agency, the contract becomes available to all OMNIA Partners members across the country.
- Members purchase directly from the vendor. Agencies reference the OMNIA Partners contract number and place orders directly.
Key Categories
OMNIA Partners covers a broad portfolio:
- Technology: Hardware, software, cybersecurity, cloud services, managed IT
- Facilities: Furniture, maintenance, janitorial, HVAC
- Office supplies: General supplies, print services, copiers
- Fleet: Vehicles, parts, fleet management
- Professional services: Consulting, staffing, temporary labor
Why Agencies Use OMNIA Partners
- Legally compliant. Contracts are competitively solicited by lead public agencies, satisfying competitive bidding requirements.
- Volume pricing. Aggregate buying power across the largest cooperative network in the country drives pricing below what individual agencies could negotiate.
- Speed. Agencies skip the solicitation process and go directly to purchasing from awarded vendors.
- Breadth. The wide range of categories means agencies can consolidate purchasing through fewer contract vehicles.
OMNIA Partners for Vendors
Reach across sectors
The public-private model means your OMNIA contract reaches government agencies and private businesses. For vendors with products that serve both markets, this dual reach is a significant advantage over government-only cooperatives.
Lead agency credibility
Because OMNIA contracts are competed by real public agencies, they carry the credibility of a government-evaluated procurement. This makes it easier for other agencies to justify using the contract.
National distribution
Like Sourcewell, an OMNIA Partners award gives vendors access to agencies across all 50 states through a single competitive process.
OMNIA Partners vs. Other Cooperatives
| Feature | OMNIA Partners | Sourcewell | NASPO ValuePoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serves private sector? | Yes | No | No |
| Solicitation run by | Lead public agency | Sourcewell directly | Lead state |
| Best for | Vendors serving public + private | Broad SLED access | State-level procurement |
How to Get on an OMNIA Partners Contract
- Identify relevant lead agency solicitations. OMNIA Partners works with specific lead agencies for each category. Monitor their website for upcoming opportunities.
- Respond to the lead agency's competitive solicitation. The RFP process follows standard government procurement rules.
- Win the award. Once the lead agency awards the contract, OMNIA Partners makes it available to its national network.
- Activate and market. Work with OMNIA Partners to promote the contract to member agencies. Dedicated marketing support is often available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is OMNIA Partners?
OMNIA Partners is the largest cooperative purchasing organization in the U.S. It offers competitively solicited contracts to government agencies, school districts, and private sector businesses across a wide range of product and service categories.
Is OMNIA Partners only for government buyers?
No. OMNIA Partners serves both public and private sector buyers. This dual model distinguishes it from government-only cooperatives like Sourcewell and NASPO ValuePoint.
How do OMNIA Partners contracts get competed?
Contracts are competed through lead public agencies that run standard RFP processes. Once a contract is awarded by the lead agency, OMNIA Partners makes it available to all members nationally.
Is OMNIA Partners free for government agencies?
Yes. Membership is free for public entities. Administrative fees are built into vendor pricing, similar to other cooperative purchasing organizations.
How is OMNIA Partners different from Sourcewell?
OMNIA Partners serves both public and private sector buyers while Sourcewell serves only public entities. OMNIA uses lead public agencies to run solicitations while Sourcewell runs its own. Both provide national cooperative contract access.