BuyBoard

BuyBoard is a cooperative purchasing program established and administered by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), providing Texas school districts, local governments, and an expanding national member network access to competitively solicited contracts across technology, equipment, supplies, facilities, and services.

What is BuyBoard?

BuyBoard was created by TASB to allow Texas public education entities to leverage cooperative purchasing for commonly needed products and services. BuyBoard conducts competitive solicitations that satisfy Texas Education Code competitive bidding requirements, allowing member organizations to place orders directly against awarded contracts without running additional procurements.

BuyBoard's core member base is Texas-centric, all Texas public school districts, colleges, municipalities, counties, and other political subdivisions are eligible to use BuyBoard. Beyond Texas, BuyBoard has expanded to serve public entities in other states through intergovernmental cooperation agreements, though its national footprint is smaller than NASPO ValuePoint or Sourcewell.

BuyBoard covers:

• Technology hardware, software, and services (a primary category)
• Vehicle fleets and transportation equipment
• Office supplies and furniture
• Grounds and facilities maintenance equipment
• Professional services (architecture, construction management, consulting)
• Safety and security products

BuyBoard differentiates itself through deep Texas market penetration, virtually every Texas school district and most Texas local government entities are familiar with and regularly use BuyBoard contracts. For companies targeting Texas public sector markets, BuyBoard is an essential vehicle. For companies with national SLED ambitions, BuyBoard is typically combined with NASPO ValuePoint and Sourcewell for broader national coverage.

Why BuyBoard matters for government contractors

For companies focused on Texas, the second-largest U.S. economy and home to 1,000+ independent school districts, 254 counties, and hundreds of cities, BuyBoard is the most important state cooperative purchasing vehicle. A BuyBoard award provides the Texas public entity market with immediate contract access. Texas school district purchases through BuyBoard skip the individual competitive procurement that would otherwise require districts to issue their own RFPs (often taking 3-6 months). BuyBoard is the fastest path to Texas K-12 and local government market penetration.

Example

An EdTech software company wins a BuyBoard contract for student information systems and learning management software. The company markets the BuyBoard contract to Texas school districts directly. A 12,000-student Texas suburban school district's technology director verifies BuyBoard membership (automatic for Texas public schools) and places a purchase order for the student information system, $420,000 for a 5-year subscription including implementation and support. The district's purchasing department confirms that BuyBoard satisfies the district's competitive procurement requirements under the Texas Education Code, allowing the purchase without a separate RFP.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can use BuyBoard?

All Texas school districts, education service centers, charter schools, community colleges, state agencies, cities, counties, and other political subdivisions of Texas can use BuyBoard. Nationally, entities in states that have entered cooperative purchasing agreements recognizing BuyBoard solicitations may also use it. BuyBoard is expanding its national reach but remains most thoroughly embedded in Texas.

How does BuyBoard's competitive solicitation process work?

TASB's BuyBoard program conducts public competitive solicitations (equivalent to an RFP or competitive bid) for specific product and service categories. Awarded vendors sign BuyBoard contracts. Member organizations can then place orders directly referencing the BuyBoard contract number, satisfying competitive procurement requirements. BuyBoard manages the solicitation, award, and member access process; vendors deal directly with member organizations for order fulfillment.

Do BuyBoard contracts satisfy Texas Education Code purchasing requirements?

Yes. BuyBoard is authorized under Texas Government Code 791 and Texas Education Code 44.031 as an approved interlocal purchasing cooperative. Purchases made through BuyBoard by Texas public schools satisfy competitive procurement requirements without additional solicitations. This legal authorization is the foundation of BuyBoard's value, it provides genuine procurement compliance, not just pricing convenience.

What is the difference between BuyBoard and HGACBuy?

HGACBuy (Houston-Galveston Area Council) is another Texas-rooted cooperative purchasing program, originally serving the Houston metro area's local government members but expanded nationally. BuyBoard's primary focus is education (school districts), while HGACBuy's roots are in general local government (cities, counties, public utilities). Both serve overlapping Texas public entity markets, and many vendors hold both contracts for complete Texas coverage.