Save 12 Percent Against State Contract

ST. CHARLES, Ill., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ – Prior to the start of the school year, the St. Charles Community Unit School District (CUSD 303) took time to reevaluate its existing state contract price for copy paper. Cathy Koch, Director of Business Services for CUSD 303, recognized the potential for savings and sought out Louisville-based BidBridge, a proven eProcurement services provider for the public and private sectors.

In order to provide an alternative to the public sector’s traditional process of a one price per supplier response, BidBridge facilitates a secure, real-time electronic sealed bid platform that allows suppliers to place multiple bids. In CUSD 303’s copy paper bid, five suppliers competed for a copy paper contract to supply 7,132 cases of paper consisting of six total line items, varying products based on coloring, size, and recycled/non-recycled factors.

“With help from BidBridge’s expert support team, we were able to complete the bid in an efficient, professional manner,” said Ms. Koch. “The electronic reverse auction process that BidBridge provides is truly a step forward in public procurement across the country, especially for schools and school districts.”

Over the course of the 52-minute bid event, the 8.5×11 white copy paper line item logged 50 total bids, resulting in 20 first place turnovers and 21 time extensions. CUSD 303 saw a 20 percent overall savings against budget for non-recycled product and a four percent savings for recycled paper. Accounting for all line items, CUSD 303 saw a final low bid price that was 12 percent lower than its existing contract.

“The St. Charles bid serves as further proof that public entities can beat state contracts if they give suppliers the opportunity to compete in a dynamic purchasing environment,” said BidBridge CEO Jim Headlee. “Education is the backbone of this country, and the more money we can save for our schools, the more money they have to allocate towards areas of greater need.”