Cooperative contracts
Cooperative purchasing paths for armor.
Most LE and federal armor purchases ride a pre-competed cooperative contract rather than a fresh RFP. Five cooperatives cover the vast majority of US body armor, helmet, and shield procurement.
NASPO ValuePoint
official site- Scope
- Lead-state model. Each contract is led by one state's procurement office; other states opt in. Pre-competed national pricing.
- Governance
- National Association of State Procurement Officials. Nonprofit, no pay-for-placement.
- Where it fits in armor procurement
- State + local LE body-armor master contracts. Most broadly recognized cooperative for LE armor procurement.
Sourcewell
official site- Scope
- Minnesota joint-powers cooperative; open to public agencies nationwide. Contracts awarded via competitive RFP, usable without additional bidding.
- Governance
- Sourcewell, Staples MN. Nonprofit government agency.
- Where it fits in armor procurement
- Widely used by smaller LE agencies and school districts for armor + safety equipment where NASPO doesn't carry a specific manufacturer.
OMNIA Partners
official site- Scope
- Private cooperative; largest public-sector purchasing organization. Lead agency typically U.S. Communities heritage or Region 4 ESC.
- Governance
- OMNIA Partners, LLC. For-profit.
- Where it fits in armor procurement
- Often carries Point Blank, Safariland, Armor Express. Useful when an agency's home state has no NASPO participation.
HGACBuy
official site- Scope
- Houston-Galveston Area Council cooperative. Strong in public safety including vehicle armor; used by agencies across the South + Midwest.
- Governance
- Council of governments, nonprofit.
- Where it fits in armor procurement
- Common for armored-vehicle body-armor kit add-ons + tactical ballistic shields.
TIPS (Region 8 ESC)
official site- Scope
- Texas Region 8 Education Service Center cooperative; open to public agencies nationwide.
- Governance
- TIPS Purchasing, nonprofit ESC.
- Where it fits in armor procurement
- Smaller body-armor-specific contracts; school-safety armor procurement.
Which cooperative covers my state + my manufacturer?
We built the coverage matrix. Pick your state + manufacturer, see which cooperatives cover the combination.