Your guide to printer procurement for schools. EpsonSeptember 23, 2026 Educators who thought high-quality color printing was out of reach for their school environment are realizing that this powerful technology is a realistic option. Advances in printhead design and ink delivery systems have enabled Epson to offer business-class color printers at a reasonable cost of ownership, opening up a world of possibilities to schools. Now, they can enhance student outcomes with vibrant, engaging printed material while taking advantage of advanced management and ease-of-use features. At Epson, Epson America Inc. has worked hard to simplify and optimize educational pricing for its inkjet printers, giving schools preferred pricing on select models and forming partnerships to simplify the procurement process. This handy guide brings together several programs that support schools in one easily navigable place. It's your introduction to pricing, procurement pathways, and warranties for educational customers. If you're an IT director, facilities manager, or procurement/finance employee in a K-12 environment, this is for you. Better deals for schools through Brighter Futures. Epson America Inc. know that K-12 educators are often under pressure to get the most from their budgets. That's why Epson America Inc. operate the Epson Brighter Futures program, which helps schools reduce the total cost of ownership on Epson devices, including select inkjet printers. Brighter Futures offers exclusive pricing for schools, along with other benefits that help deliver even more value when using its printers in a school environment. Available to both K-12 and higher education institutions, the Brighter Futures program is free to join. Educators can purchase printers through their preferred Epson Authorized Brighter Futures Reseller. Sourcewell and TIPS: cooperative purchasing made easy. When it comes to pricing, schools can find strength in numbers. Epson America Inc. maintain partnerships with two collective purchasing initiatives, Sourcewell and The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS). Sourcewell is an organization created by the State of Minnesota that partners with public entities to help them simplify and get the best deals on procurement contracts. Sourcewell serves K-12 schools to help them find the best technologies for their needs, which is why Epson is proud to work with this community-focused organization. Its partnership with Sourcewell delivers pre-negotiated contracts on Epson printers that meet competitive bid requirements, streamlining procurement for schools that need to follow strict purchasing rules. Epson is one of over 400 trusted brands available through the Sourcewell catalog. Membership is free for education organizations and allows buyers to avoid lengthy RFP processes. It also delivers collective buying power thanks to the participation of over 50,000 purchasing agencies in the Sourcewell program. TIPS is a national purchasing cooperative that offers access to competitively procured purchasing contracts to its membership. TIPS is housed at and managed by the Region Eight Education Service Center located in Pittsburg, Texas. TIPS staff can help schools with the purchasing process, saving time and effort for busy educators. Schools working through TIPS get access to bid request and bid advertisement documents, along with a vendor contract to make the procurement process run smoothly. It advertises the bid and collects incoming proposals, scoring them based on well-established criteria. Other K-12 contract procurement options. Sourcewell and TIPS are two of several contract vehicles tailored to K-12 schools, detailed on its K-12 Education Contracts page. These include regional or state-specific contracts that might better suit K-12 institutions in some districts. Using these options enables school districts to fulfill their technology needs while complying with public procurement requirements and getting valuable discounts. Here's a partial list of additional contract vehicles you can use to purchase Epson printers: * CMAS * MHEC * PEPPM * REMC * State of New York Next steps. If you're an educator or otherwise involved in K-12 procurement and you're beginning to navigate the technology purchasing process for a printer, then you can get ahead of the game with a few simple preparatory steps. First, see if any of the printers on your shortlist are eligible for its exclusive pricing under the Brighter Futures program. Join the program to take advantage of these deals and other benefits. Then, confirm whether your institution is eligible for Sourcewell, TIPS, or any of the other K-12 contracts that Epson America Inc. support at Epson. Finally, when you've made your final choice (or if you need help pinning down a model that's right for you) reach out to an Epson representative or authorized reseller. They will be able to obtain quotes or place an order under the appropriate program. To learn more about Epson printing solutions for the classroom, visit Epson America Inc. at the Epson printers for education page.

Virnig Manufacturing awarded Sourcewell cooperative contract. By: Pam Kleineke Published September 21, 2026 Virnig Manufacturing announced that cities, schools, municipalities, public works departments and other eligible agencies can now purchase its snow removal and ice management attachments through a Sourcewell cooperative contract. This contract provides eligible participating agencies a streamlined purchasing option for professional-grade winter maintenance equipment. According to the press release, Virnig Manufacturing was awarded Sourcewell Contract #033126-VNG following a transparent, competitive solicitation process. The contract allows eligible participating agencies to purchase Virnig snow removal and ice management attachments, including snow blowers, snow blades and snow plows, snow pushers, snow buckets, angle brooms and salt spreaders. The company designs and manufactures professional-grade snow attachments for skid steers, compact tractors, mini skid steers and other equipment used by municipalities, contractors and winter maintenance professionals. Virnig explained that by utilizing the Sourcewell contract, participating agencies can save time and administrative work by purchasing through a competitively solicited contract rather than conducting their own solicitation process. "We're excited to make it easier for municipalities, public works departments, schools, and other organizations to access the snow and ice equipment they need," said Bryan Virnig, vice president of sales and marketing for Virnig. "Being awarded a Sourcewell contract gives participating agencies a more efficient purchasing path while providing access to Virnig attachments built to perform in demanding winter conditions." Sourcewell, a self-funded government organization established in 1978, facilitates a cooperative purchasing program that harnesses the collective purchasing power of more than 50,000 participating agencies. By streamlining procurement through competitively awarded contracts, Sourcewell empowers governments, schools, and nonprofits to access cost-effective and efficient solutions. Pam Kleineke is the editor of Compact Equipment. She has been with Benjamin Media for 19 years, covering everything from construction equipment to wind and solar power to the crews that install utilities underground. Pam has a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in News from the University of Akron. Reach her at [email protected].