NIGP and OMNIA Partners Advance Public Procurement Research Through Strategic Partnership for CARE Call for Research

NIGP and OMNIA Partners Advance Public Procurement Research Through
Strategic Partnership for CARE Call for Research

Reston, VA, June 8, 2026-NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement today announced that OMNIA Partners will be the leading sponsor to fund the first Call for Academic Research through the NIGP Center for the Advancement of Research and Excellence (CARE).

As the Official Research Sponsor of the 2025 CARE Call for Research, OMNIA Partners is helping expand access to timely, evidence-based research for public procurement professionals. The sponsorship supports CARE's work to connect academic inquiry with the practical challenges facing procurement teams and the communities they serve.

The inaugural Call for Academic Research received more than 30 international submissions from scholars and institutions across the United States and Europe. Eleven research projects were selected and funded. Over the next year, these projects will explore topics including artificial intelligence, process improvement, supplier diversity, leadership, and other issues shaping the future of public procurement.

"This sponsorship from OMNIA Partners makes it possible to bring forward new research that is both academically rigorous and grounded in the realities of public procurement," said Emily Moses, Associate Director of Publications and Research at NIGP. "The selected projects reflect the questions procurement professionals are asking now: how to lead through change, use technology responsibly, improve processes, strengthen supplier engagement, and deliver greater value to their communities."

CARE was established to strengthen the connection between research and practice in public procurement. Through this first Call for Academic Research, NIGP is supporting original scholarship that can inform decision-making, encourage innovation, and provide practitioners with current thinking on the profession's most pressing opportunities and challenges.

"We are excited to expand our longstanding partnership with NIGP by funding research that will help public procurement teams deliver better services to their communities," said Josh Raymond, Executive Vice President of Marketing. "Since our founding, OMNIA Partners' mission has been to help government agencies and educational institutions buy the products and services they need faster while maximizing the value they get from suppliers. Partnering on the CARE program is a way for us to further support the customers we serve."

For NIGP, the sponsorship reflects the strength of a partnership focused on shared purpose and long-term value for the public procurement community.

"Our partnership with OMNIA Partners is grounded in a shared commitment to strengthening public procurement," said Fred Kuhn, Chief Strategy Officer at NIGP. "Their support for CARE's first Call for Academic Research demonstrates the kind of collaboration that moves the profession forward by investing in knowledge, innovation, and practical resources for procurement leaders and their teams."

The funded research projects will be produced over the next year and shared with the public procurement community to support learning, practice improvement, and continued dialogue between scholars and practitioners.

Through this partnership, NIGP and OMNIA Partners are helping elevate research as a critical resource for the profession and ensuring public procurement professionals have access to insight that supports stronger agencies, better decisions, and lasting public value.

About NIGP

NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement is the premier association for public procurement professionals. Through education, certification, research, consulting, and community, NIGP supports more than 19,000 professionals working in public procurement across North America. NIGP is dedicated to advancing the profession and helping agencies deliver greater value to the communities they serve. Learn more at www.NIGP.org.

About OMNIA Partners

OMNIA Partners is the nation's largest and most experienced group purchasing organization for the state and local governments, educational institutions, nonprofits and businesses. With more than $35B in B2B spending facilitated each year, OMNIA Partners delivers an extensive portfolio of 1,200+ competitively bid and publicly awarded contracts- along with human expertise and technology to help buyers and suppliers do business with less friction and more value. For more information, visit www.omniapartners.com.

CONTACT:
Emily Moses
Associate Director of Publications and Research
NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement
703.429.2596
[email protected]

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