We are very proud to announce that Fred Beans
Parts is now an authorized supplier of the COSTARS
cooperative purchasing program. The COSTARS
program provides Pennsylvania based municipalities a
variety of choices and competitive pricing in fulfilling
their infrastructure rehabilitation and other purchasing
needs, while at the same time, eliminating the expensive
costs of public bidding procedures. It is managed by the
Department of General Services (DGS), which authorizes
“Local Public Procurement Units” (LPPUs) and
state-affiliated entities purchasing capabilities for
supplies and services. COSTARS provides the registered
LPPUs, state affiliated entities, and suppliers an
invaluable tool to find and do business with each other
effectively through the use of "COSTARS-exclusive
contracts” established by DGS.
Products currently
being offered under the COSTARS program include: All OE
Parts for the makes below along with special bulk
purchases.
If you are a member and interested in using COSTARS
or just speaking with someone about it, give us a call
at
877-942-3267
x-1406
and ask for Dave Wittlinger or
George Wright. They will be more than happy to assist
you. You can also email us at
dwittlinger@fredbeans.com
Not a COSTARS member and would like to learn more? A
wealth of detailed information continues below…………
History:
The passage of the Commonwealth Procurement Code, Act
57 of 1998, authorized LPPUs and state-affiliated
entities to engage in cooperative purchasing with the
Commonwealth. In spring 2004, DGS developed the COSTARS
Program to increase the cooperative purchasing options
available to its members.
In 2004, the General Assembly passed an amendment to
the Code that expanded DGS's authority, allowing DGS to
enter into contracts exclusively for the benefit of
LPPUs and state-affiliated entities. DGS has included
these special non-Commonwealth agency contracts, known
as "COSTARS-exclusive contracts", as part of its COSTARS
Program. All DGS contracts through which LPPUs and
state-affiliated entities may make purchases, including
specific statewide agency contracts as well as
COSTARS-exclusive contracts, are part of the COSTARS
Program.
Member-Specific Benefits of COSTARS
Participation:
Allowing local government’s participation in the
state’s purchasing program has saved taxpayers thousands
of dollars each year. The savings can span a wide array
of necessary municipal services such as sewer
rehabilitation, plow trucks, road salt reserves, police
vehicles, mowers & tractors, dump trucks, and traffic
control road equipment. These PA state contracts are
useful when purchases need to be made quickly, saving
time and manpower usually reserved for advertising,
writing specs, and analyzing bids. Additionally, by
using COSTARS members are able to streamline the bidding
process or possibly even eliminating it entirely.
Consider the following when deciding on membership:
- Flexibility – A wide selection of commodities
and suppliers are offered to the +7,000 program
members. Over 200 state contracts, with a pool of
more than 2,000 suppliers, are currently available
for use by participants. The variety of choices
provide public agencies the option to keep their
procurement dollars in their local economy, thereby
helping to maintain and generate jobs and advancing
local economic development. Participation in any
COSTARS purchasing is completely voluntary; each
member is free to obtain supplies and services
through its regular procurement procedures.
- Cooperative Purchasing Requirements – Because
the Commonwealth awards contracts through its own
competitive bidding process, COSTARS procurements
meet the cooperative purchasing requirements under
the Commonwealth Procurement Code for local
government purchasing.
- Best Value – Members have the ability to review
prices and product information on the COSTARS
website and may contact various contractors to
receive the best value for their purchase. Factors
considered may include administrative cost and
time-savings, compatibility with existing equipment,
delivery time, or keeping spending in their local
community.
- Convenience – Using contracts established by DGS
facilitates the purchase of supplies and services by
simply issuing a purchase order to a contractor.
- Education – Free training, workshops, and a
quarterly newsletter are provided by COSTARS staff
to assist members on how to use contracts, how to
purchase from specific contracts of interest, as
well as other topics of interest and trends in
government purchasing.
Members will always have the assured stamp of quality
that comes with each COSTARS supplier.
Membership Eligibility:
Entities eligible for COSTARS membership include any
LPPU defined as:
- Any political subdivision (local government
unit), such as a municipality, school district, or
commission
- Any public authority
- Any tax-exempt, nonprofit educational or public
health institution/organization
- Any nonprofit fire, rescue, or ambulance company
- Any other entity that spends public funds for
the procurement of supplies, services, and
construction (such as a council of governments, an
area government, or an organization that receives
public grant funds)
A state-affiliated entity is a Commonwealth authority
or other Commonwealth entity that is not a Commonwealth
agency. The term includes:
- The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
- The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency
- The Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System
- The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment
Authority
- The State Public School Building Authority
- The Pennsylvania Higher Education Facilities
Authority
- The State System of Higher Education
Becoming a Member:
Provided your organization meets the eligibility
requirements outlined, you may register your local
public procurement unit (LPPU) or state-affiliated
entity as a COSTARS member by completing the
online registration form or by calling the COSTARS
team at
1-866-768-7827. Only LPPUs and state-affiliated
entities who have registered with the Department of
General Services (DGS) may participate in the COSTARS
purchasing program. If you are unsure of your
organization's eligibility, contact DGS's COSTARS team
via the COSTARS e-mail at
gs-pacostars@pa.gov,
or simply fill out the online registration and submit
the form. In either case, DGS will evaluate your
organization and get back to you concerning your status.
