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What TIPS purchasing means for your agency
TIPS (The Interlocal Purchasing System) is a national cooperative purchasing program. It runs the competitive bid process once, on behalf of thousands of public agencies — so once a vendor is awarded a contract, any eligible member can purchase directly from them without re-bidding. The competition has already happened at the cooperative level; your agency just references the contract number.
K-12 school districts
Higher education institutions
Cities, counties & municipalities
State & local government agencies
Other public entities (eligibility varies by state)
How a TIPS purchase actually works
1
Confirm your agency is a TIPS member. Membership is free and takes minutes if you're not already enrolled.
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2
Contact your local representative with your project scope and timeline.
3
Your rep prepares a quote, submits the quote to TIPS for compliance review.
4
You then receive your quote along with TIPS's verification that it's compliant.
5
Issue your purchase order — we schedule the work, and TIPS maintains the audit-ready documentation.
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Operating companies across the AIR Control Concepts network give this contract reach and continuity — the same authorized pricing and support wherever your agency is located.
Common Questions
No. TIPS satisfies the competitive procurement requirement in most states, since the bid process was already completed at the cooperative level. Check with your agency's purchasing policy to confirm local rules.
No minimum. The contract covers everything from small service calls to full retrofit and controls projects.
26010401 (JOC) covers construction-related job order work. 26010402 (Non-JOC) covers trades, labor, and materials outside a formal job order structure. Your rep can confirm which applies to your project.
Every awarded vendor and contract number is publicly searchable at tips-usa.com. Search AIR Control Concepts to confirm both contract numbers directly.