Explore career opportunities in the field of public procurement while driving impactful change across government entities.

Recognized as a premier achievement for innovative public procurement.

About NASPO

NASPO is the nation’s leader in public procurement, driving excellence for its members through various sources.

Get Involved

Learn about the benefits of NASPO membership, how to join, and the various committees and initiatives that members can participate in.

The cooperative contracting arm of NASPO

Online learning management system

Online community for connecting NASPO members

Your source for exploring emerging public procurement issues

Your source for best practices and emerging issues in state procurement

Procurement U
Procurement U
Your premier source for award-winning education in public procurement.
State Profiles
Research & Innovation
Research & Innovation
The Repository of State Practices (RoSP) is a database of state procurement statutes, regulations, and policies. NASPO’s Research and Innovation team continually update the RoSP.
NASPO ValuePoint
Partnerships
Partnerships
NASPO currently partners with 17 Strategic Partners and 9 Academic Partners to form strong relationships with existing procurement organizations and continually elevate the public procurement profession.
- Strategic Partnerships
- Academic Partnerships
News
News
Stay up-to-date on the latest news within NASPO and public procurement through our blog, podcast, press releases, and more.
Events & Webinars
Events & Webinars
NASPO hosts numerous events, both in-person and virtual, to promote excellence and community in the procurement profession.

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About NASPO

NASPO is the nation’s leader in public procurement, driving excellence for its members through diverse programs, resources, and initiatives.

History

About NASPO Team History Bylaws Annual Reports

75 Years of NASPO

1944-Present

1944

First President

George Cronin was elected as the first president of NASPO on January 29, 1944. Legend has it that Major Cronin convened a number of officials in his Palmer House room to make his proposal. Reality suggests it may have been the hotel bar.

1947

First Meeting

State purchasing officials met informally in Chicago, Illinois to plan strategies to ensure that state governments would receive a fair share of property distributed under the Surplus War Property Disposal Act of 1944. In their discussions, George Cronin, Massachusetts, urged the formation of an ongoing, formal organization of state purchasing officials as an effective vehicle to address specific public procurement and provide a network for resolving problems.

1994

Western States Contracting Alliance Established

In 1993, the Western States Contracting Alliance (WSCA), formed through an agreement between the chief procurement officers from 15 western states.

1996

First Website

NASPO goes online in 1996. Members could surf the internet for association news, publications, and the Database of Recycled Commodities.

1997

First delegation to a foreign country

In October 1997, NASPO sent its first delegation to a foreign country. Several NASPO members went to Amsterdam to present to Dutch business officials on “how to do business with the states.”

2011

NASPO Network launches

In 2011, the NASPO Network, an online community for members to ask questions, exchange information, and instantaneously share solutions was launched

2013

NASPO ValuePoint formed

In 2013, NASPO formed a subsidiary, NASPO ValuePoint, to manage its multi-state cooperative purchasing on a national level. NASPO ValuePoint is an outgrowth of WSCA, as well as the cooperative procurement efforts by other NASPO regions.

2014

Procurement U launches

In 2014, NASPO launched Procurement U, a comprehensive educational program created to deliver high-quality, low-cost training and resources to support the professional development and certification process for state procurement professionals.

75 Years of NASPO Book

NASPO strives to be the Strategic Partner for Public Procurement Solutions. This vision is born from the importance of procurement to effective government and the foundation of 75 years of leadership from our members.

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