COHN named as an SPCO Colorado State-Approved Agency

Why it matters for your Colorado state department

COHN has been officially awarded a State of Colorado Price Agreement for Advertising and Marketing Services through the State Purchasing and Contracts Office (SPCO).

This designation makes COHN one of a select group of state-approved agencies in Colorado, pre-vetted to provide goods and services to state departments, higher education institutions, local governments, and eligible nonprofits under a simplified, compliant, and cost-effective procurement framework.

If you work with a public-sector team, this approval means faster engagement without sacrificing accountability. You will not have to issue a public RFP if you need marketing support! The groundwork is already complete. Competitive review, contract terms, and pricing structures are in place. You can begin work immediately under a state-approved scope, saving weeks of administrative steps and freeing internal teams to focus on outcomes.

For COHN, this milestone reinforces our long-standing commitment to helping mission-driven organizations communicate clearly, build trust, and deliver measurable results. It reflects our belief that marketing should be a force for clarity and progress in the public sector. Through this program, we can help agencies move from idea to implementation with less red tape and greater confidence.

The Benefits of Working with State-Approved Agencies

It’s no secret that Colorado agencies and institutions are being asked to do more with less. Budgets are tight. Staff capacity is limited. Procurement teams must balance speed with accountability while program leaders push to deliver on mission. We understand that in this climate, every dollar and every day matters. Procurement is one of the most scrutinized functions in state operations because it has direct impact on outcomes for residents, students, and patients. When purchasing runs efficiently and transparently, programs move faster and the public benefits sooner.

Working with state-approved agencies delivers the benefits of state purchasing contracts, faster procurement, stronger accountability, and lower administrative overhead that support long-term government procurement efficiency.

1. Streamlined procurement saves time

Each approved contract has already gone through the competitive process needed to ensure compliance, value and efficacy. When you choose an SPCO-approved vendor, you eliminate repetitive steps that slow projects and distract teams. In many cases, the difference is measured in weeks, if not months.

Instead of drafting a solicitation, posting it, managing Q&A, scoring responses, conducting interviews, and negotiating terms, you can reference the existing agreement and issue a task order or statement of work.

2. Faster onboarding also leads to faster delivery

Communications teams can get campaigns into market before a policy window closes. University departments can launch outreach ahead of a semester. Local governments can respond to seasonal needs on a realistic timeline.

Procurement professionals can shift their attention to higher-value work like supplier performance, stakeholder alignment, and future planning because less time is spent reinventing a process that already exists.

Every hour not spent on administrative cycles can be redirected to residents, students, and patients. That trade is tangible. It shows up as earlier program milestones, fewer schedule slips, and a workload that feels manageable for the teams who keep government running.

3. Cost control through collective buying power

State price agreements are designed to secure strong value for public buyers. The state runs a competitive process to test the market, negotiate terms, and lock in pricing structures that stand up to scrutiny. When you purchase from an approved contract, you benefit from that work. You also benefit from the buying power of a larger enterprise, even if you are a small department or a nonprofit with limited volume.

The practical advantages are clear. You gain predictable rates over the life of the agreement. You avoid the volatility that can come with one-off purchases. You receive the terms and service levels established during the statewide competition, which means fewer surprises when it is time to scope work, reconcile invoices, or evaluate results. You also reduce soft costs. Staff spend less time running bespoke procurements and more time getting value from the services acquired.

For nonprofits and smaller institutions, cooperative purchasing in Colorado can be a force multiplier. By accessing the same vendor pool the state uses, your organization can reach price points and service guarantees that are difficult to negotiate independently. That creates breathing room in tight budgets and protects program delivery when the market shifts.

4. Built-in risk mitigation

Working with state-approved vendors reduces risk before a project begins. SPCO vetting confirms vendor qualifications, compliance, and financial stability. Vendors must meet standards around insurance, ethics, and capacity, and they are held accountable to the terms of the agreement. Those guardrails matter because they lower the likelihood of performance issues and reduce exposure to legal or financial problems.

Risk mitigation also shows up in execution. Approved vendors work frequently within the public sector. They understand records requirements, security practices, accessibility standards, and communication protocols. That familiarity shortens the learning curve and reduces the chance of missteps that can delay work or trigger rework. If something does go wrong, the contract framework provides a clear path to resolution.

The result is a procurement experience with fewer unknowns. You spend less time chasing documents, clarifying expectations, or renegotiating fundamentals. You spend more time measuring outcomes and making improvements for the next phase of work.

5. Results that compound over time

State-approved relationships create momentum. With each project, the vendor learns more about your culture, your stakeholders, and your approval pathways. Onboarding gets quicker. Documentation becomes cleaner. Work products reflect institutional knowledge instead of starting fresh each time. That reduces soft costs and improves outcomes because context is already in place.

The cumulative effect strengthens government procurement efficiency, a measurable return on the state’s investment in cooperative programs.

6. Accountability from end-to-end

The reputational incentives are strong, as well. Approved vendors want to perform. We compete to earn a place on the list, and we compete to stay there. That dynamic rewards responsiveness, quality, and transparency.

Colorado has a system called Canary, which is an initiative to gather actionable feedback on supplier performance for you, the procurement professionals using these contracts. Read reviews or contribute one of your own on the Colorado portal. Think “Yelp” or “TripAdvisor,” but for state contract vendors. These reviews are visible to fellow procurement professionals and suppliers, allowing for collaboration to optimize performance and improve contract outcomes.

Nonprofits that participate in Colorado cooperative purchasing benefit from this dynamic too. Access to the same vendor ecosystem brings the same service discipline and the same long-term advantages, even if your organization works on a smaller scale.

7. Measurable outcomes

Procurement is a means to an end. The goal is better outcomes for the public. When you use state price agreements, you can build in simple, durable ways to measure impact. You can also make sure your scopes include clear objectives for awareness, engagement, conversion, or behavior change. Align reporting to those objectives. Use insights to refine the next phase of work.

Over time, you will see a portfolio of projects that deliver consistent results because they share a foundation of strong procurement and shared accountability.

Common Misconceptions about State Purchasing and Contracts Office (SPCO) Vendors

Some concerns come up frequently when teams consider state price agreements. Here are practical responses you can share with colleagues and leadership.

“We will have fewer choices.”
Approved vendor lists are built to expand choice inside a trusted framework. Most categories include multiple qualified partners across specializations, geographies, and sizes. You gain options while keeping the guardrails that protect budgets and timelines.

“State contracts are rigid.”
Frameworks define terms, not outcomes. Scopes and deliverables are tailored to the goals of your project. You retain room to design the work that best serves your constituents while benefiting from pre-negotiated protections.

“Costs will creep.”
Price structures established during the statewide competition create predictability. You still scope thoughtfully and manage performance, but you begin from rates and terms that have already been tested and approved.

“Only large agencies benefit.”
Small departments and nonprofits often see the greatest gains because they tap into the scale and discipline of a statewide program. That can unlock services that were previously out of reach or free up funds for direct program activity.

Where COHN fits as a state-approved partner

For Colorado agencies, public universities, local governments, and eligible nonprofits, this creates a direct, compliant avenue to access strategy, creative, and media execution without a lengthy procurement cycle.

Here is what that looks like in practice:

1. Speed with structure. You can engage COHN quickly under the established contract while maintaining the documentation, auditability, and controls your organization requires. Projects move from planning to production on a realistic schedule because the groundwork is already complete.
2. Value with visibility. Pricing structures have been set through the statewide process. You know how hours convert to deliverables. You know how media budgets will be stewarded. You know how reporting will demonstrate performance. That visibility supports better financial management and easier stakeholder updates.
3. Focus with accountability. We bring a public-sector mindset to each engagement. Requirements for accessibility, privacy, and records are woven into our workflows. Clear scopes, clear checkpoints, and clear outcomes keep your team in control while offloading heavy lifts to a partner built for them.

COHN is tremendously proud to be a Colorado state-approved vendor. If you are ready to move faster with confidence, we are ready to help. Reach out to scope your project under the state contract and launch on a timeline that matches your goals.

FAQs

What is an SPCO-approved vendor?
A vendor that has been competitively selected and contracted through Colorado’s State Purchasing and Contracts Office. Approved vendors meet standards for qualifications, compliance, and insurance, and they operate under pre-negotiated terms and pricing structures.

Who can use Colorado cooperative purchasing contracts?
State agencies use them routinely. Many higher education institutions, local governments, and nonprofits can also participate through eligibility programs that allow cooperative purchasing in Colorado.

How do state price agreements save money?
They aggregate demand, set pricing through a competitive process, and reduce the administrative costs of running new procurements for each project. The result is predictable pricing and fewer soft costs.

Where do I find the vendor list?
Your procurement team can access the Colorado Department of Personnel and Administration resources that catalog SPCO-approved vendors by category and contract.