Fire engines and other fire apparatus are just a few of the procurement areas where South Carolina’s cities and towns can use the City Connect Market, a program of the Municipal Association of SC, to take advantage of volume discounts on purchases.
The program operates on the principle of cooperative purchasing, in which centralized staff obtains bids and coordinates purchases for local governments across the country, which results in better pricing and efficiency.
City Connect Market partners with two agencies for purchasing:
- CarolinaBUY offers purchasing contracts in areas including cybersecurity; office supplies; athletic and playground facilities; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; vehicles; and signage, among other areas.
- HGACBuy assists with purchasing products and services, primarily in the areas of public safety, public works, emergency services and communications.
The City Connect Market connects users to product listings under all of the contract categories. Users can search through the available products or services, or can contact the Municipal Association with a specific request.
After the municipality receives and approves a quote, the Association works directly with HGACBuy or CarolinaBUY to place the order. The Association serves as a liaison that can assist the municipality throughout the purchasing process. Those cities and towns that wish to use this process should review their procurement ordinances to make sure that cooperative purchasing partnerships are an approved purchasing method.