RoAnn M. Destito, Commissioner of the New York State Office of General Services (OGS), today announced that OGS recently received a 2018 Achievement of Excellence in Procurement (AEP) Award from the National Procurement Institute Inc. The AEP is awarded annually to recognize innovation, professionalism, e-procurement, productivity, and leadership in procurement by public and non-profit organizations.

“All New Yorkers should be just as proud as I am of the procurement team at OGS for earning this well-deserved recognition from the National Procurement Institute.” Commissioner Destito said. “The team’s dedication and continued pursuit of excellence have led to innovations in procurement that benefit New York taxpayers and create opportunities for a wide variety of companies, big and small, to do business with the State.”

The AEP program encourages the development of excellence as well as continued organizational improvement to earn the award annually. The award is earned by obtaining a high application score based on standardized criteria, including professional development, customer service, environmental policies, vendor training, and the adoption of best value procurement methods. A score of 100 on the application is required to be eligible for the award, with OGS achieving a score of 145 points.

For 2018, there were 201 successful applicants across the nation, including 45 counties, 65 cities, 27 higher education agencies, 26 school districts, 29 special districts, and nine state agencies. This year marked the second consecutive year that OGS received this award.

Founded in 1968, the National Procurement Institute, Inc. is designed to establish cooperative relationships among its members and to develop efficient purchasing methods and practices in the areas of governmental, educational, and institutional procurement.  The mission of NPI is to facilitate the educational and professional development of its members.