Law Enforcement equipment procurement contracts can be complicated, but understanding them is key to being successful in gear acquisition. Read this article to gain a better understanding of LE equipment contracts.
If you purchase firearms or duty gear for your law enforcement agency, you will most likely interact with contracts. Contracts are easy to work with once you get that hang of them, but can seem complicated at first. Keep reading this quick overview to gain a better understanding of LE contracts.
WHAT ARE CONTRACTS?
Contracts are mutual agreements between agencies and a vendor that specify products and pricing for a set amount of time. They can vary from a one-time purchase to a term of several years.
BIDDING CONTRACTS
The most common type of contract will cover a set list of items at a set price for a term of one year. These contracts often require a bidding process to select the vendor who will deliver the needed items.
Many contracts also offer an extension period where the agency and Proforce can mutually agree to extend the contract for a set amount of time, typically an extra year or several years.
COOPERATIVE CONTRACTS
Some contracts are written to be exclusively utilized by the contracting agencies; however, other contracts are written as a cooperative contract where other agencies can also utilize them to facilitate their purchases. Cooperative contracts are beneficial because they allow agencies to lock in prices while avoiding lengthy bidding processes. For example, if an agency requires purchases over $5,000 to be bid out, a cooperative contract can be used with a neighboring agency to avoid bidding. Instead, the cooperative contract will have a list of pre-approved distributors for agencies to choose from.
Proforce holds many cooperative contracts with law enforcement agencies across the country.
THIRD-PARTY COOPERATIVE CONTRACTS
Proforce also holds several contracts with cooperative companies that are accessible to any agency (nationwide) that registers as a member. A popular example is NPP GOV, which facilitates cooperative contracts for a wide variety of public safety products. You can view Proforce Law Enforcement on the NPP's "Law Enforcement Equipment" approved list here.
Cooperative contracts can have product limitations, but some of Proforce’s cooperative contracts are written to include most of the manufacturers that we represent at a percentage discount off MSRP so that it can cover a vast array of products.
PROFORCE'S CONTRACT RESOURCES
Law Enforcement equipment contracts are simple in theory, but can be complicated to interact with. To make the process simpler, Proforce employs a full-time contract specialist that is available to answer any questions. Our contract specialist can also assist with arranging the use of an established cooperative contract, establishing a new contract, or assisting with updating a current contract.
Proforce currently holds over 100 contracts with various agencies across the country. If you are interested in joining a cooperative contract we partner with, or want to learn more about your options, please give us a call at (800) 367-5855 and ask for the Contracts Specialist.
