BEYOND THE BID: SMARTER PROCUREMENT AND FINANCING FOR BETTER STADIUM PROJECTS
Synopsis:
- Dant Clayton connects customers with two organizations that help make sourcing vetted contractors and securing financing a win-win for everyone involved.
- NCL Government Capital offers a turnkey approach to venue financing, greatly simplifying the process for procurement decision-makers in Education, Municipality and Parks and Rec.
- Sourcewell’s Co-Op Purchasing Program holds more than 700 best-in-class cooperative contracts, giving public employees access to vetted, top-tier vendors with national buying power.
Cost-Savings and Efficiency: A Win-Win
The business side of building or renovating a sports, recreation or entertainment venue is hardly anyone’s favorite part of the game. The bid process, vetting contractors, and getting all needs met within budget is tricky. The process can be lengthy and potentially derail completion dates. Not to mention it can exhaust available staff. In fact, a study by the National Cooperative Procurement Partners (NCPP) revealed that the “real cost” for time and personnel to conduct a bid process for a complex job averaged $17,419.
Dant Clayton’s experience with NCL Government Capital and Sourcewell’s Co-Op Purchasing Program has been all upside for our customers. These two organizations offer tremendous value in reducing pain points for purchasing agents, architects, school districts and municipalities—basically anyone involved in a building project.
A Big Win for Procurement
Ohio’s Perry County School System’s 50-year-old stadium was out of ADA compliance. Our Territory Manager, Paul Riedinger, connected the school with NCL Government Capital, who was instrumental in financing their football stadium featuring Dant Clayton’s Game Ready Grandstand and press box on the home side, and a visitor side Alum-A-Stand bleacher in time for the home opener.
“Many decision-makers in the education, municipality, and parks and rec sectors don’t realize that financing a renovation, new stadium or recreation center is available to them. School boards are pleasantly surprised upon learning that they can defer payments up to 12 months and spread payments over a period of time."
Whether you are in the beginning phase of your project or if you’ve elected to delay a purchase due to budget concerns, NCL Government Capital is an attractive source to provide simplified procurement solutions. Financing options are particularly appealing for facilities that are out of compliance and can’t afford to pay the upfront costs to make the repairs but also can’t afford to close.
Local financial institutions aren’t as well-versed in the nuances of state, local and higher education requirements. NCL is well-suited to fill the void as their expertise is solely in these areas.
The benefits of financing with NCL Government Capital:
- They offer the least expensive form of financing for government entities: a tax-exempt municipal lease
- You assume ownership on day one and can defer payments up to 12 months while increasing your purchasing power as much as 7X
- They bring a turnkey approach to procurement and do the heavy lifting by preparing documents and processing payment, all while satisfying bid requirements
While the average loan is $500,000 to $1 million, NCL has provided financing for upwards of $20 million.
Cooperative Purchasing Program: Local Dealer Access with National Buying Power
When Tim Walker was tasked with overseeing a multi- million dollar budget to upgrade North Canton School’s athletic facilities, Sourcewell proved to be extremely beneficial.
“The greatest benefit of co-op purchasing through Sourcewell is it allowed us to have continuity of vendors. So instead of having to separately bid out construction on our lacrosse, softball, football and baseball facilities, we were able to contract directly with Dant Clayton because they’ve been vetted by Sourcewell and have locked in their competitive pricing.”
Sourcewell holds more than 700 best-in-class cooperative contracts across dozens of categories—from recreation, grounds maintenance, vehicles, and construction. Every Sourcewell contract is awarded through a nationally recognized competitive solicitation process that is fully compliant with public procurement standards.
Benefits include:
- Keeping taxpayer dollars in the community, by saving time and money during the procurement process
- Risk is mitigated and project delivery runs smoothly because purchasers tap into a vetted network of suppliers that have demonstrated excellence across crucial metrics
- By leveraging their ready-to-use contracts and expertise, agencies can avoid duplicating efforts and instead focus on their core missions
Only the most capable, responsive and scalable suppliers are awarded. They are evaluated on pricing, depth and breadth of offerings, delivery, marketing plans and value-added services, financial health and reputation.
“Because Sourcewell is a government agency, there’s a high level of trust from the public employees who go through Sourcewell for cooperative purchasing. We’re the conduit that brings the procurement team together with local dealers that have been vetted and hold contracts.”
Cooperative purchasing is on the rise because it helps public entities do more with fewer resources.
“Purchasing agents are some of the most informed professionals out there, constantly navigating a wide range of needs—but it’s unrealistic to expect them to be experts in every category. That’s where we come in—to support them in making a better-informed decision with trusted resources, especially when it comes to time-sensitive purchases like safety equipment, emergency infrastructure, or critical facility upgrades.”
Dant Clayton has expanded its Sourcewell portfolio to include our full range of solutions, making it even easier for customers to access comprehensive stadia, seating, railing, press box, and specialty venue offerings through cooperative purchasing.
For more information about Sourcewell or NCL Government Capital financing, please contact Amanda Hibbard, Vice President of Marketing & Sales Operations, who can help identify the procurement and financing solution that best aligns with your project’s goals, budget, and timeline.
Download NCPP’s 2023-24 RFP Tracking Project below to learn about the real costs for time and personnel to conduct a bid process.