WAUKEGAN, IL / ACCESS Newswire / September 17, 2025 / The Midwest Association of Public Procurement (MAPP) today announced the launch of the MAPP Cooperative Alliance, a community-driven initiative to expand collaborative purchasing opportunities across cities, counties, park districts and other local government agencies in Illinois. The Alliance will be powered by Bespoke Community Cooperatives, which will provide the administrative and organizational support needed to drive collaboration, efficiency, and savings for public agencies.

With over 90 member agencies, MAPP has long been a trusted network of public procurement professionals. Through the Cooperative Alliance, MAPP members will be able to:

• Procure jointly to save time and money across agencies by combining spend and resources.

• Engage and support local Illinois businesses through expanded outreach and vendor inclusion.

• Uncover trends in spending that help the community build stronger, more informed contracts.

Contracts established under the Alliance will be available not only to MAPP members but also to non-member public sector buyers, broadening the reach and impact of the initiative.

"Our members have always been committed to collaboration and efficiency," said Krista Kennedy, President of MAPP. "The MAPP Cooperative Alliance takes that commitment to the next level by ensuring public agencies of all sizes can leverage shared resources and expertise to deliver the greatest value to their communities."

Bespoke Community Cooperatives will provide a full suite of administrative services to support the Alliance, including:

• Organizing joint participation

• Coordinating local vendor outreach and training

• Managing a centralized site for contract and data sharing

• Delivering analytics to inform decision-making

• Supporting contract expansion and scalability

"This partnership allows us to do what we do best: help communities and agencies organize, maximize their purchasing power, and create long-term, sustainable savings," said Bespoke's Brian Selander. "We're honored to help MAPP launch this initiative and look forward to supporting its growth."

The MAPP Cooperative Alliance represents a new model for how public procurement agencies can align resources, foster innovation, and strengthen public trust by ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent more effectively.

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About the Midwest Association of Public Procurement (MAPP)
Founded in 1980, the Midwest Association of Public Procurement is a local chapter of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing. For over thirty years, MAPP members have dedicated themselves to promoting professionalism and ethical procurement practices within their entities, which are comprised of cities, villages, townships, boards of education, park districts, colleges and county agencies. Learn more at mapp-nigp.org.

About Bespoke Community Cooperatives
Bespoke Community Cooperatives partners with associations, governments, and organizations to build collaborative procurement models that maximize efficiency, savings, and community impact. Bespoke provides administrative services, vendor engagement, contract management, and analytics to help cooperative groups thrive. Learn more at bespokecommunity.org.

SOURCE: Bespoke Community Cooperatives