The Challenge
A typical school district has one purchasing coordinator serving 5-20 buildings. Every principal, teacher, and facilities manager needs something: Chromebooks for a new 1:1 program. Cafeteria equipment before the health inspection. A replacement HVAC unit before winter. Furniture for the new wing.
Each purchase over threshold requires 3+ quotes. That means emails to vendors, follow-ups when they don't respond, and manual comparison of whatever formats they send back. Multiply that by dozens of requests per month, and the backlog grows.
Meanwhile, the school year doesn't wait. Teachers need supplies. Buildings need repairs. The board wants to know why that technology purchase is still pending.
Common Pain Points
| Multi-building requests | Every school submits needs separately—no consolidated view |
| Quote threshold compliance | $5k-$10k threshold means constant quote collection |
| Seasonal crunches | Back-to-school and end-of-fiscal-year create request spikes |
| Technology refresh cycles | Large device purchases with tight timelines |
| Board approval requirements | Must show competitive process for larger purchases |
| E-Rate and grant compliance | Federal funding requires documentation of competitive pricing |
Common Purchases
How Buyer24 Helps
Consolidated request view
See all building requests in one dashboard
Automated 3-quote compliance
System ensures you meet policy with documentation
Technology RFQ templates
Pre-built for common device purchases
Grant-ready documentation
Export quote comparisons for E-Rate and grant reporting
Back-to-school mode
Handle seasonal surge without temporary staff
"I support 14 schools by myself. Before Buyer24, the Chromebook refresh alone would consume two weeks of my time just collecting and comparing quotes. Now I send the RFQ once, get responses organized automatically, and present the comparison to the superintendent. What took two weeks takes two days."
Purchasing Coordinator
K-12 School District (9,200 students), Midwest
Public Sector FAQ
Does Buyer24 work with state cooperative contracts?
Yes. You can use Buyer24 to get quotes from open-market vendors and compare them against state contract pricing. Many public organizations use both—Buyer24 helps you document either path.
How does this work with our existing purchasing system?
Buyer24 handles the quote collection and comparison phase. Once you've selected a vendor, you process the PO through your existing system (Munis, Tyler, PeopleSoft, etc.). No integration required to start.
Is the data secure enough for public sector use?
Yes. Data is encrypted at rest and in transit. We can provide security documentation for your IT review. No supplier data or pricing is shared between organizations.
What about purchases that require formal sealed bids?
Buyer24 is designed for informal quotes (typically under $25k-$50k threshold). For formal sealed bids, you'll continue using your existing bid management process. Most public organizations find that 80%+ of their purchases fall in the informal quote range.
Can multiple people in our office use it?
Yes. Team accounts let multiple staff members manage requests, with visibility into what others are working on. Great for backup coverage and workload balancing.
How long does implementation take?
Most public sector teams are live within 1-2 days. Connect your email, add your common suppliers, and start sending RFQs. No IT project required.