FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

251 Agencies Earn 2026 Achievement of Excellence in Procurement® Award from National Procurement Institute

The National Procurement Institute, Inc. (NPI) proudly announces that 251 public and nonprofit agencies have earned the prestigious Achievement of Excellence in Procurement® (AEP) Award for 2026. This award recognizes organizational excellence in public procurement through a rigorous evaluation of innovation, professionalism, productivity, leadership, and e-procurement practices.

This year’s program reached historic milestones with a record-breaking 269 applications, representing 28 U.S. states and Canada, and an unprecedented 93% success rate.

Among the 251 successful applicants, a record-breaking 42 are first-time recipients, highlighting the continued expansion of best-in-class procurement practices. Notably, four agencies—City of Plano, TX; City of Tucson, AZ; Denton County, TX; and Orange County, FL—have earned the award every year since its inception, demonstrating three decades of unwavering leadership in procurement excellence.

NPI extends its sincere appreciation to the 84 volunteers who served on the AEP Evaluation Team and Appeal Panel. Their dedication, expertise, and countless hours of review were essential in maintaining the integrity and success of the award program.

“The 2026 AEP Award reflects the extraordinary commitment of procurement professionals who are driving performance, accountability, and strategic value for their agencies,” said Carrie Mathes, FNIGP, CFCM, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, C.P.M., CPPB, APP, FCCM, AEP Officer for NPI. “This year’s record participation and new milestones are a testament to the growing recognition of procurement as a critical function in public service.”

Established in 1995, the AEP Award is open to all public and nonprofit organizations. The program’s comprehensive criteria promote continuous improvement and elevate procurement as a vital contributor to good governance.

View the full list of 2026 recipients and learn more about the AEP Award.

• Collect and analyze supplier performance feedback from end-users.
• Receive real-time alerts when suppliers pose risks to contract performance, allowing for early intervention and resolution.
• Compare supplier performance to identify areas for improvement and encourage healthy competition
• Make informed renewal decisions based on data-driven performance insights

Canary’s AI-powered analysis allows institutions to leverage qualitative feedback data to proactively identify trends and issues that would otherwise go unnoticed.

NAEP members will streamline their procurement processes, reduce risk, and drive better value from their supplier relationships with Canary. The platform will assist higher education procurement professionals to move away from reactive contract management, toward proactive supplier performance management. And in the process, they’ll establish even closer ties with purchasers from one end of campus to the other, helping them solve supplier challenges they face or recognizing outstanding performance by key suppliers.

Learn more about Canary for Higher Education

NAEP CEO Brad Pryba said, “At NAEP, we strive to empower our members to drive innovation and deliver exceptional value on their campuses. Our partnership with Procurated provides our members with preferred pricing for Canary, a groundbreaking platform that transforms contract management with unparalleled insights, supplier performance optimization, and real-time feedback from end users. With new benefits like this, NAEP members are better equipped to drive meaningful change and elevate the impact of their work.”

“In my twenty years in public procurement, I’ve always viewed NAEP as the gold standard in higher education procurement. NAEP provides unparalleled value to its members as they seek to bring innovation to their campuses. In that vein, we are thrilled to partner with NAEP so that every university across the country can benefit from Canary,” said David Yarkin, Procurated’s Founder and CEO. “No college should have a supplier’s poor performance stand in the way of helping today’s students become tomorrow’s leaders. And thanks to NAEP, higher education institutions can all receive the consistently high supplier performance they deserve.”

Jeremy Meadows, Executive Director of Strategic Sourcing for the University of California Office of the President added, “Like many large university systems, UCOP has a strong desire to ensure that all of our systemwide contracts are working well for our vast network of campuses that stretch 500 miles. This task was extremely challenging and virtually impossible for us to accomplish on our own. This led us to explore joining Canary’s platform, and we are excited to see how it can help us identify which suppliers are performing at the high standards our campuses deserve and which ones may require additional support and engagement from our team to meet expectations. Having spent more than a decade in higher education procurement, I know how hard it is to get this regular feedback, and I’m excited that through NAEP’s partnership with Procurated, so many of my peers will have access to this vital tool.”

Under the terms of the agreement, NAEP will help to drive awareness of the importance of vendor performance management and the Canary platform through regular communications with its members in webinars, emails and at live events. In return, Procurated will offer all NAEP members a special discounted rate.

About NAEP Founded in 1921, the National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP) is a nonprofit professional association primarily dedicated to serving higher education purchasing officers across the U.S. and Internationally. NAEP’s mission is to advance institutional and individual success through innovative procurement strategies.

About Procurated Based in Washington, DC, Procurated is the largest supplier ratings and reviews platform for the public sector, featuring over 85,000 verified reviews. Founded by David Yarkin, former Chief Procurement Officer of Pennsylvania, Procurated empowers procurement teams with real-time supplier insights. Introduced in January 2024, Procurated’s powerful Canary platform is now in use by 14 US states, as well as major municipalities and higher education institutions across the country to manage the performance of their suppliers.

Contact Information:
NAEP Contact
Megan Bourque-Stith
Marketing and Communications Specialist:
Email: megs@naepnet.org
Phone: 443-219-9411

Procurated Contact
Steve Isaac
Director of Marketing
Email: steve@procurated.com
Phone: 631-988-5577

Amazon Business' new partnership with The National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP) offers participating NAEP members with Business Prime benefits, prioritized procurement consultations, and access to Amazon Business' Curated Catalog.

The partnership, led by NAEP Chief Executive Director Brad Pryba and Amazon Business Director of Education, Brett Tuson, aims to provide cost-effective solutions tailored to the needs of higher education professionals. "At NAEP, we are committed to fostering innovation and excellence in higher education procurement. Partnering with Amazon Business aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver exceptional value and service to our members," states Pryba.

The UPPCC Board of Directors is pleased to announce approval of a new eligibility option for the Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO) Certification Program. Given the significant number of highly competent professionals at the Officer level who do not have a bachelor’s degree or higher, UPPCC recognized the need for an alternative option for CPPO certification for these experienced professionals. The new eligibility option is shown below as Option Two with Option One being the existing option. This change will take effect starting with the Fall 2024 exam window.