Supplier Resources

• Empire Procure Connect is a new eProcurement system that will transform the procurement processes for the Empire State Purchasing Group. Empire Procure Connect allows buyers to easily shop directly from Alliance vendor catalogs.  

New York State local governments can often purchase goods and services off contracts established by other local governments. This practice is known as cooperative purchasing or piggybacking. It allows municipalities to leverage the purchasing power of larger entities and streamline procurement processes. This is the case here with Empire Procure Connect.

Local Government Buyers have two options:

• Become a FULL MEMBER by joining the Alliance and gaining full access to Empire Procure Connect. This includes signing an agreement with the Alliance and with SOVRA, which includes being subject to both SAAS fees as well as Convenience Fees (paid by Suppliers) for all purchases made on contract.
• Become a BUYING MEMBER by simply accessing the contract without becoming a part of the Empire State Purchasing Alliance.

Please note that specific rules and regulations regarding cooperative purchasing may vary depending on the local government's own procurement policies, as well as any state laws or regulations governing such practices. It's essential for the local government to review its own procurement guidelines and consult legal counsel if necessary to ensure compliance.

Use this link to access a Vendor Quote Guide, and for futher assistance please email: support@bidnet.com.

Vendor Quote Guide

All interested suppliers who do or wish to do business with the Empire State Purchasing Group will need to sign the participating agreement and then be registered in BidNet Direct. Suppliers BidNet Account will be sufficient and will not need to sign up for a second Empire Procure Connect Account. Vendors awarded Alliance contracts will work with Periscope's Vendor Success Team to best represent their contracted items and/or services in Empire Procure Connect Marketplace for shopping and purchasing. Vendors will receive solicitation notifications through BidNet and also respond to those solicitations through BidNet.

SOVRA is the new unified brand for the procurement technology and services previously known as Periscope. This shift provides clarity, consistency, and a more streamlined experience for all stakeholders and reflects our continued investment in modernizing public procurement and creating a more cohesive, innovative experience for buyers and suppliers. 

Important to note:

• Contracts and Legal Entities: Contracts remain with Periscope Holdings, Inc. (PHI) at this time.  Any future transition of legal entities will be communicated well in advance. 
• Supplier Payments: For supplier fee payments, suppliers will continue submitting payments to Periscope Holdings Incorporated (PHI), as this structure remains unchanged. 

bidnet direct, an mdf company, is a comprehensive online platform designed to connect businesses with government agencies and procurement opportunities. It serves as a central hub for suppliers seeking to discover, bid on, and manage government contracts.

Convenience fees that fund procurement operations, cooperative programs, and systems are very common across the U.S. These fees are used to modernize the procurement operations and sourcing experience for buyers, as well as improves services to the supplier community. For Empire Procure Connect, Suppliers will be paying a 1.75% fee on all contract sales, and this fee will be used to create a marketplace presence in the EPC Marketplace. By establishing a presence in the EPC Marketplace, suppliers unlock the opportunity to showcase their contracted offerings and can also benefit from tailored promotional campaigns targeting public sector buyers.

If your contract is in the program, we are already promoting it to local government buyers across New York State. Without your participation we cannot promote your contract. We are targeting 2025 to have the Marketplace fully implemented and begin the process of adding contracts to the Marketplace. We will contact suppliers as we get closer to launch to introduce the Marketplace and discuss the steps involved in having contracts available on the Marketplace. As supplier contracts are amended to be included into the alliance, the process of developing their marketplace presence will commence.

Yes, a contract amendment would be required to add your contract into the Alliance and have it available on Empire Procurement Connect. If your contract contains the permissive cooperative language and does not contain the EPC Alliance Program Language, you will need to execute an amendment to incorporate the EPC Program Language. The Counties will be in touch with you regarding the amendment process.

We have utilized SAMPO to promote EPC and are having discussions with other counties who are interested, and they will be brought on board when the timing allows. We are currently targeting spring of 2025.

Suppliers will not have a log in to the EPC marketplace, however we can meet with you to show you what your marketplace presences looks like. The only login you will need is to Bid-Net Direct. If you need assistance with Bid-Net Direct, please reach out to: support@bidnet.com.

The Counties will be in touch with you regarding the amendment process.

The Marketplace is designed to best suit your companies needs based on the products and services you provide. There are 3 levels of visibility for your Marketplace presence; Informational (showing information about your company and cooperative contract), Itemized (showing shoppable products and services with pricing and item level detail) or a Punchout to your ecommerce site.

No, you will not need a separate agreement. The OGS "piggyback" agreements are separate from this Alliance.

Yes, if bidding on an Alliance Cooperative bid. 

Yes, there are several national cooperatives where their contracts are not available for local government agencies to use. NY Law prohibits using cooperatives were multiple awards were issued. All of the Alliance contracts will be solicitated and awarded to New York State law and rule and will be available for use by all local governments.

This will need to be decided on a case-by-case basis, but in some instances, yes non-profits may be able to access alliance contracts.

Yes, you need to have an existing contract containing the piggyback clause with either Rockland, Ulster or Chemung County. Your contract will need to be amended to incorporate the alliance program language.

The search results will be limited to those contracts that are included in Empire Procure Connect. The results will be based on the search words used and if any filters were also used in searching.

We have utilized SAMPO to promote EPC and are having discussions with other counties who are interested, and they will be brought on board when the timing allows. We are currently targeting spring of 2025.

If your contract contains "permissive cooperative language" (piggyback language that allows other agencies to use the contract) that opens up your contract to other public organizations to purchase from, you can amend your contract to add the EPC Alliance program language.