Four SLED contracts to build out your sales toolbox

By Jessica Wilhelm, SLED Contracts Specialist

If your company is selling IT products or services to the state, local and education (SLED) market, it is extremely important to maintain and expand the statewide contracts and cooperative agreements that form the foundation of procurement at this level.

Why build out this SLED contracts toolbox?  Simply put: Ease of use. Using a SLED contract vehicle with competitive pricing and negotiated terms and conditions equals a shorter procurement process for you!

If you’re new to the SLED space, you need to know that not all contracts are a one-size-fits-all solution. Here are a few types of SLED contracts that you should have in your toolbox. Three are SLED-specific; one allows SLED organizations to make use of federal vehicles. Here’s what you need to know.

(1) Stand-Alone Contracts. These contracts leverage pre-negotiated terms and conditions and are geared towards solutions versus products. They tend to be limited to one brand or type of product and they are limited to awarded items only, with little ability to augment the contract post award.

(2) Statewide/Master Contracts. These vehicles leverage buying power in specific states (which some states mandate). The fees tend to be lower, and they offer compliance with state-specific requirements. They are, however, limited to specific state(s), and don’t always allow for manufacturer/reseller additions post award.

(3) Cooperative Purchasing Contracts. These contracts support purchasing power for state, local and educational entities in multiple states. They offer both the flexibility to add manufacturers/resellers as needed, and more categories of products/services under their contract umbrella. Further, some Cooperatives reinvest profits from their contract use fees back into the SLED organizations they serve. Fees tend to fluctuate and can sometimes be on the high side, in comparison to other types of SLED contracts.

(4) GSA-based Contracts. These allow state, local and educational entities to use the federal cooperative, which is easy to use and offers a vast catalog of products. This type of contract, however, does not satisfy state competition requirements, and pricelist updates may take a few weeks to approve. Also, not all state agencies permit their use.

By keeping your toolbox up to date with these various procurement vehicles, your sales teams will be able to navigate more easily through the sales process and close more business.

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