Join the network redefining purchasing for the nation’s leading agencies and institutions.
Everything Your Classrooms Need—All in One Platform.
Through OPUS, powered by OMNIA Partners, School Specialty offers everything your classrooms and campuses need—all in one place. From daily essentials to specialized solutions, it’s never been easier to buy compliant, competitively priced products before year-end.
Everything You Need for Every Learning Environment:
Furniture & Learning Environments: Desks, seating, storage, and flexible layouts that inspire collaboration and support active learning.
Safety & Security: Emergency supplies, facility safety equipment, and security solutions to help protect students and staff.
Special Needs Resources: Adaptive furniture, sensory tools, and inclusive materials for learners of all abilities.
STEM & Curriculum Support: Hands-on STEM kits, lab materials, and curriculum-aligned resources that spark engagement.
Classroom Essentials: Art supplies, manipulatives, office materials, and teaching tools for everyday classroom needs.
Make year-end purchasing simple, compliant, and cost-effective.
Fill out the form to get your free OPUS account and start shopping School Specialty solutions today.
Power in Numbers
$35B+
Annual Spend Managed
94%
Population Served by Agencies Using OMNIA Partners
1K+
Negotiated Master Agreements
14K+
Agencies Registered in OPUS
Meet OPUS
Procurement made simple.
OPUS is the free ecommerce platform from OMNIA Partners, built to simplify cooperative purchasing for agencies and nonprofits. Purchase everything you need in one place—from office supplies to industrial equipment— across trusted suppliers from publicly awarded Master Agreements.
How It Works
From searching contracts to buying directly through the platform, OPUS streamlines every step of the purchasing process. Here’s how it works:
Search for What You Need
Log in to OPUS and browse a searchable database of contracts. Say goodbye to lengthy RFPs—every purchase in OPUS is backed by Master Agreements awarded through an open competitive process by a Lead Public Agency, saving your team weeks of sourcing and review time.
Take the “search” out of research by finding products and services on Master Agreements that meet your agency’s needs.
Buy Directly in the Platform
Eliminate the challenge of juggling sites and quotes. Add items from multiple suppliers into one cart and complete your purchase within OPUS while maintaining compliance with procurement regulations. What once required weeks of coordination can now be completed in minutes.
QuickConnect with Suppliers
Use QuickConnect to instantly reach knowledgeable supplier representatives who understand public sector and nonprofit purchasing. Request quotes, product details, or support in seconds, without ever leaving the platform.
Maximize the Value of Your Membership
Experience the collective buying power and cost savings of other public entities through OMNIA Partners. Each Master Agreement is awarded through an open and competitive process by a Lead Public Agency, giving your organization confidence, transparency, and immediate access to trusted solutions.
Buy from hundreds of best-in-class-suppliers
What current OMNIA Partners members are saying
It's very easy to type something in the search bar, and then all of the vendors are brought to me.
– Nacole Reeks, Purchasing and Procurement Coordinator, Polk County, TX
It's definitely user-friendly and it's how the younger generation entering the workforce is used to shopping.
– Jake Roger, Town Administrator, Epping, NH
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is cooperative purchasing?
Cooperative purchasing allows state and local governmental entities, public and private primary, secondary and higher education entities, non-profit entities, and agencies for the public benefit to leverage their collective purchasing power to obtain the best overall value from suppliers. Through a cooperative purchasing organization like OMNIA Partners, agencies gain access to competitively solicited contracts that simplify the public procurement process and eliminate the need for individual solicitations. This approach streamlines purchasing, saves time, and ensures compliance with applicable procurement regulations.
2. How does cooperative purchasing work?
Cooperative purchasing streamlines the sourcing and procurement process by allowing a Lead Public Agency to conduct a solicitation on behalf of multiple participants. Once awarded, the resulting cooperative purchasing agreement becomes available for other agencies to use, saving months of research and solicitation. Members can purchase directly from trusted suppliers using these contracts, reducing their administrative workload and ensuring transparency throughout the procurement and contracting process.
3. Why do public agencies use cooperative purchasing?
Public agencies rely on cooperative purchasing to save time, reduce costs, and stay compliant with public sector procurement requirements. By using established cooperative purchasing Master Agreements, the solicitation process has already been done helping agencies go right to achieving competitive pricing and quality service. This approach enhances efficiency, enables more strategic procurement, and allows organizations to focus resources on mission-critical priorities rather than administrative tasks.
4. Who can use cooperative purchasing?
Eligibility for cooperative purchasing extends to a wide range of public and nonprofit entities, including but not limited to state procurement agencies, local county procurement offices, special districts, education procurement institutions, and organizations involved in nonprofit procurement. Once these agencies become a member of a cooperative purchasing organization like OMNIA Partners, they gain access to compliant, competitively solicited Master Agreements that simplify purchasing while ensuring accountability and transparency in every transaction.
5. Introducing OPUS: Simplifying cooperative purchasing for agencies
OPUS is the free procurement purchasing platform from OMNIA Partners, designed to modernize the industry by providing a single, easy-to-use hub. Agencies can not only research and compare trusted and widely used Master Agreements on the platform, but they can also click and buy directly from suppliers. As a digital e-procurement portal with solutions tied to publicly procured Master Agreements from Lead Public Agencies, OPUS centralizes purchasing activities, helps ensure compliance, and connects agencies to trusted suppliers - making cooperative purchasing simpler and more efficient than ever before.