TIPS

What TIPS does

TIPS (The Interlocal Purchasing System) is a national purchasing cooperative founded in 2005 and headquartered in Pittsburg, Texas, operating under the governance of Region 8 Education Service Center. The organization connects governmental entities (cities, counties, state and federal agencies), educational institutions (K-12 districts, charter schools, universities), and non-profit organizations (churches, hospitals, nursing homes, charitable organizations) with pre-qualified vendors through competitively procured purchasing contracts available across all 50 states. TIPS maintains an electronic procurement platform (the eBid System at tips.ionwave.net) that handles vendor registration, monthly bid solicitation, and automated notification of matching opportunities to registered vendors, alongside a searchable vendor directory and contracts catalog. The platform also operates a Construction sub-brand offering Job Order Contracting (JOC) services for facility management and construction projects.

Revenue is generated through two primary streams: annual membership subscriptions from member organizations and fees from vendors participating in the eBid system and receiving contract awards. The cooperative relies on a sales-led go-to-market motion, distributing through its website, the eBid system, and partnerships with state-level educational and governmental associations such as the Illinois Municipal League, KADPF, KSPMA, LSBA, MSPMA, OROS, SASBO, and WAMOA. TIPS does not publicly disclose pricing, revenue, or financial statements, and operates without external venture capital or private equity investment.

Name

TIPS

Legal name

The Interlocal Purchasing System

Website

https://tips-usa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TIPS is a national purchasing cooperative, governed by Region 8 Education Service Center, that provides governmental, educational, and non-profit entities with competitively procured vendor contracts across all 50 states via its eBid procurement platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Procurement Services

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Procurement Platforms, Catalogs & Contract Purchasing (Co-ops, GPOs, eProcurement) (EDAEAIAO)

Keywords

• Purchasing cooperative
• Government procurement
• Cooperative contracts
• Vendor management
• Education procurement

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Cooperative Membership Fees: TIPS operates as a purchasing cooperative generating revenue through membership fees from governmental entities, schools, and non-profits who access vendor contracts
2. Vendor Contract Awards: Vendors pay to participate in the TIPS eBid system and receive awarded contracts to serve cooperative members

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TIPS operates a national purchasing cooperative that delivers pre-bid, competitively procured contracts to public and nonprofit entities, enabling compliant procurement without the need for individual bidding processes. The cooperative maintains a vendor directory and contracts catalog spanning construction, facilities, technology, janitorial, food service, and educational supply categories, managed through its cloud-based eBid electronic procurement system administered by the Region 8 Education Service Center.

Product overview

TIPS (The Interlocal Purchasing System) is a national purchasing cooperative platform that connects governmental entities, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations with pre-qualified vendors through competitively procured purchasing contracts. The platform operates as a centralized marketplace featuring a vendor directory, contracts catalog, and eBid procurement system. TIPS serves as an aggregator for various product and service categories including construction (Trades, Labor, Materials, Roofing, HVAC), facility management, janitorial services, food service equipment, technology solutions, and security systems. The TIPS Construction sub-brand provides specialized Job Order Contracting (JOC) services for facility management and construction projects. The platform also maintains strategic partnerships with educational and governmental associations to expand membership access across states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TIPS Construction: A division of TIPS focused on construction-related purchasing contracts and Job Order Contracting (JOC) services.

Products and services

• TIPS Membership Program A membership program for governmental entities (K-12 schools, cities, counties, state agencies) and non-profit organizations (churches, hospitals, charitable organizations) providing access to competitively procured purchasing contracts and cost savings through cooperative purchasing power.
• TIPS eBid System An electronic procurement system used by vendors to register, receive monthly bid notifications matching their commodity categories, and submit proposals for TIPS contract opportunities. Administered through the IonWave platform at tips.ionwave.net.
• TIPS Construction A specialized purchasing program and sub-brand focused on construction-related goods and services, including Job Order Contracting (JOC) for facility management, renovations, and construction projects in education and government sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Elimination of purchasing-related stress for governmental entities through proven procurement processes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CommercePaymentsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommercePayments helps districts, universities, and cities convert check payments into electronic, revenue-generating payment types. Their database contains over 4,000 vendors who automatically accept electronic payments. They provide complimentary analysis of vendors to determine program opportunities.
• Illinois Municipal League (IML)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerIML is a non-profit that represents Illinois municipalities. They partner with TIPS to provide access to competitively-procured purchasing contracts for cost savings to member cities and towns.
• Kansas Association of Directors of Plant Facilities (KADPF)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerFounded in the mid-1950s, KADPF connects maintenance and custodial personnel across Kansas schools. They support their members through professional networking, training, and annual conferences with vendor sponsors.
• Kentucky School Plant Management Association (KSPMA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerKSPMA supports school facility management and maintenance professionals in Kentucky. Focuses on resources, education, and networking for effective school building management.
• Louisiana School Board Association (LSBA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerLSBA is a non-profit entity created in 1938 providing leadership, service, and support for all elected school boards across Louisiana.
• Missouri School Plant Manager Association (MSPMA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerEstablished in 1991, MSPMA is Missouri's premier association for school plant managers, dedicated to enhancing educational processes through excellence in support staff operations.
• Organization of Rural Oklahoma Schools (OROS)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerOROS is a non-profit advocacy group dedicated to supporting and promoting interests of rural school districts in Oklahoma through resources, legislative advocacy, and networking.
• Southeastern Association of School Business Officials (SASBO)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSASBO provides networking, professional development, and relevant information to promote and advance personnel in business and administrative services supporting education in the Southeast.
• Washington Association of Maintenance and Operation Administrators (WAMOA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerWAMOA is an organization of educational facilities and maintenance professionals in Washington State that fosters an inclusive community and promotes excellence in creating safe and sustainable learning environments.
• Region 8 Education Service CentercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRegion 8 ESC serves as the lead agency for The Interlocal Purchasing System and administers contract awards through its Board of Trustees.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Cooperative Purchasing Partners (NCPP): NCPP operates an interlocal cooperative purchasing system providing competitively procured contracts to public agencies, education, and non-profits nationwide. It is a direct peer to TIPS with a similar interlocal structure and lead-agency governance model.
• HGACBuy: HGACBuy is a cooperative purchasing program operated by the Houston-Galveston Area Council serving local governments, school districts, and non-profits. It overlaps significantly with TIPS in the Texas public-sector procurement market and shares the council-of-governments governance model.
• E&I Cooperative Services: E&I Cooperative Services is a member-owned purchasing cooperative exclusively serving education institutions including K-12, higher education, and private schools. It is directly comparable to TIPS's education segment with a similar contract award and vendor network model.
• BuyBoard: BuyBoard is a Texas-based purchasing cooperative operated by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) that serves school districts, municipalities, and other public entities. It is a direct competitor to TIPS, particularly in Texas, with a similar cooperative contract award process.
• Pace (Purchasing Association of Cooperative Entities): Pace is a national purchasing cooperative serving schools, universities, municipalities, and non-profit organizations with competitively solicited vendor contracts. It is a direct peer to TIPS operating a similar cooperative contract model for education and government buyers.
• Sourcewell: Sourcewell (formerly NJPA) is a national government purchasing cooperative serving education, government, and non-profit entities with competitively solicited cooperative contracts. It is a direct peer to TIPS, operating a similar eBid/RFP-based contract award model with state-level membership reach.
• Government Procurement Alliance: Government Procurement Alliance is a national interlocal cooperative purchasing organization offering competitively procured contracts to public agencies. It is directly comparable to TIPS as a peer cooperative serving overlapping government and education member segments.

Broad incumbents

• OMNIA Partners: OMNIA Partners is one of the largest national purchasing cooperatives serving public agencies, education, and non-profits with competitively procured contracts. It directly competes with TIPS in the government and education cooperative purchasing space but operates at significantly larger scale.
• NASPO ValuePoint: NASPO ValuePoint is the cooperative purchasing arm of the National Association of State Procurement Officials, providing master agreements used by states and local governments. It competes with TIPS in the public-sector procurement space at a broader state-procurement-official level.

Regional players

• Region 4 Education Service Center / Omnia Partners Education: Region 4 ESC in Texas operates cooperative purchasing programs for school districts and public agencies, similar to how Region 8 ESC governs TIPS. It is a regional peer demonstrating the Education Service Center-based cooperative procurement model that TIPS operates within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tipscooperative
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@tips-coop
• Facebookfacebook.com/TIPSCooperative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tips-the-interlocal-purchasing-system

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TIPS