I'll Have What They're Having: Consortial Purchasing at National Laboratories

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is one of 17 national laboratories within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Many of the laboratories operate libraries that provide access to a variety of services and information resources, and there is a significant overlap of content purchased. This offers the opportunity for member laboratories to act as a consortium, using a DOE purchasing mechanism called the Integrated Contractor Purchasing Team (ICPT) to allow interested laboratories to opt-in to centrally negotiated contracts. Over the last decade, NREL has taken a leadership position in the execution of more than a dozen ICPT agreements, working to continually improve processes and methods to provide member laboratories with as many purchasing and subscription options as possible while controlling costs over time. This poster will discuss NREL’s ongoing work as a lead laboratory of ICPT contracts.