The deals mark CoreTrust’s launch of its public-sector cooperative, the company said. The company also serves private equity and other businesses.
Public agencies can use cooperative contracting to access pre-negotiated contracts, which, of course, help keep down costs, among other benefits.
CoreTrust uses AI-backed analytics to help with procurement of such goods as office supplies, IT equipment and water treatment services, interim CEO James Hallock told Government Technology via email.
“We also provide staff augmentation, supporting overburdened public-sector teams with market research and RFP scoping,” he said.
Houston expects to work with CoreTrust for at least five years, Jedediah Greenfield, the city’s chief procurement officer, told Government Technology.
“The city is a big user of cooperative contracts,” Greenfield said, “and the state of Texas as an early adopter.”
The deals with two of the country’s largest cities stand as a “significant win” for the company and procurement, according to Hallock, with other local governments sure to take notice.
“These agreements, designed with the input of major cities with rigorous requirements, set a high standard that other municipalities can trust and leverage immediately,” he said. “For suppliers, it opens the door to serving large-scale contracts that have already demonstrated value and efficiency.”
CoreTrust started business about 20 years ago and now is working to “rapidly” expand its public-sector presence, Hallock said.
The next six to 12 months will see the company working with such entities as the State University of New York (SUNY) Orange; Onondaga County, N.Y.; and the town of Greece, N.Y., he said.
“These collaborations will broaden our contract offerings and enable us to address the evolving needs of public-sector procurement teams,” he said. “We’re also preparing to launch new competitive bidding processes focused on the most critical spend categories for public-sector agencies.”
