Cooperative Purchasing
Unloading salt from a ship and loading it onto trucks for delivery to the communities.
About Cooperative Purchasing
The Cooperative Purchasing Program is a fee-for-service program that provides bidding, contracting and troubleshooting services to our member municipalities and others.
Program Overview
The Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) Cooperative Purchasing Program provides bidding, contracting, and troubleshooting services to municipalities, districts, and non-profit agencies. The Purchasing Program can save participants money by volume discount buying. We also save time and potential legal risks by assuring that legally required bidding processes are properly followed. A fee is charged for participation in any established bidding and contracting program. Consultation on any bidding or proposal project is also available on an hourly basis.
Highway Products and Services
Approximately 22 different, multi-faceted products and/or services are offered to participants on a fiscal year basis. There is a fee charged to participate in any number of the highway products and/or services which is paid quarterly. Surveys are sent to potential participants in March; returned surveys are collated with quantities required for all items to be bid; bids are issued and mailed to the established list of vendors for each different bid; bid openings are held in public meetings; bids are reviewed for errors, proper documents, etc.; bid results are prepared and sent to participants with recommendation for awards; participants respond by providing their awards and permission for the FRCOG to award on their behalf; contracts are drawn up and awards are made on behalf of the participants; contract management and troubleshooting are done on an as-needed basis.
Currently Available Highway Products and Services
Fiscal Year 2012 bid awards can be viewed in PDF format from the Publications page on this site.
2012 - 2013 Fee Structure for Highway Products and Services
| Based on Town Population | Fee for FRCOG Members | Fee for Non-members |
| < 500 population | $903 | $1,080 |
| > 500 but < 1,000 | $1,470 | $1,700 |
| > 1,000 but < 5,000 | $2,310 | $2,750 |
| > 5,000 but < 20,000 | $2,520 | $3,000 |
| > 20,000 population | $2,730 | $3,200 |
If you are interested in participating in any or all of the Cooperative Highway Bids & Contracts and are not a member of the FRCOG, please contact bids@frcog.org or call 413-774-3167 x104.
The FY13 Highway Products and Services Survey can be viewed here.
Fuel Products
The FRCOG offers the opportunity to any Massachusetts Municipality, School, or Non-Profit Agency to participate in one, two or all three of the fuel bids: #2 Fuel, Diesel Fuel, and 2 grades of Gasoline. Bidding is in the Spring with contracts in place for July 1st of each year. Contracts are currently offered as Fixed Price, Mark-Up over Rack Price, or priced with Cap Insurance (Downside Protection) to meet each participant’s needs. The fee to participate in the program is $145 per fuel for FRCOG member communities and Schools and Non-Profit agencies within those communities. $165 per fuel is charged to non-member communities or agencies outside Franklin County. Current contract pricing can be found on the Publications page. Participation in the bid does not commit any participant to contract for fuel through the FRCOG, but is an inexpensive, valuable way to explore bulk purchase pricing in a volatile market. FRCOG administers and troubleshoots the fuel contracts for all participants throughout the year. Approximately 20 communities, schools, and non-profits are participating for FY 2011.
The FY12 Fuels Survey can be viewed here.
Dog Licenses and Dog Tags
All dogs need to be licensed.
Any Massachusetts municipality may participate in the cooperative bid for dog licenses and/or dog tags. Surveys are sent out in September. Bids or Price Quotes are issued in September and received in October. Awards are issued and products are received at the end of December. Participants reimburse the FRCOG for their products and they pay a fee for the service they received. The 2010/2011 fee is $36.
Future Activities
The Cooperative Purchasing Program is currently exploring the potential for providing additional programs and services to meet the purchasing needs of our region. Contact Andrea Woods if you have a suggestion.
This page was last updated on 01/31/2012 .