Supply chain specialist CHAMPS Group Purchasing (GPO), business affiliate of The Center for Health Affairs, and the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE), Greater Cleveland’s premier small business expert and the small business arm of Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP), are pleased to announce a new partnership that will both deliver cost savings and allow their mutual members to reinvest in the local community.

“With our shared dedication to supporting the business community of our region, CHAMPS GPO and COSE are natural partners, and we at CHAMPS are so pleased to build this relationship between our two organizations,” said Mario Franco, executive vice president and chief operating officer of The Center for Health Affairs and CHAMPS.

As a group purchasing organization, CHAMPS consolidates buying power to achieve cost savings on goods and services. Joining CHAMPS GPO will enable COSE members to benefit from lower costs on products and services they use every day, achieving an average of 10% to 20% savings. By connecting members with local suppliers, CHAMPS and COSE are helping their shared members reinvest in the local economy through their purchases. COSE members will benefit from the CHAMPS portfolio of contracts as well as the potential to establish new, custom contracts for products and services that are important to them.

“At CHAMPS, we are thrilled to welcome COSE members to the GPO. Our supplier agreements complement COSE’s existing offerings, bringing added opportunities for savings,” said Maria Summers, director of CHAMPS Group Purchasing. “This partnership with COSE is one more way that CHAMPS is able to meet its twin goals of delivering savings and serving the Northeast Ohio community.”

“We’re excited to partner with CHAMPS to bring COSE members the benefits of their group purchasing program,” said Megan Kim, executive director of COSE and senior vice president, membership development and marketing at GCP. “COSE provides small businesses with the tools they need to grow and succeed, and through this partnership, we’re continuing to deliver on that promise.”

COSE members will have a dedicated CHAMPS GPO account manager to help them navigate GPO contracts and connect them with discounted pricing. Supplier categories available to COSE members through CHAMPS GPO include food service; housekeeping; facilities, such as paint, flooring, furniture and pest control; and administrative and purchased services, like moving, storage, printing and background checks.

About CHAMPS Group Purchasing

CHAMPS Group Purchasing, business affiliate of The Center for Health Affairs, leverages the purchasing power of 20,000+ member locations across the United States. CHAMPS’ members gain access to significant savings in product categories including medical supplies, foodservice, IT, furniture, administrative services, housekeeping, and building maintenance. Together with its national GPO partner Premier, CHAMPS supports healthcare and business & industry member supply chain initiatives through their expertise in contract management, aggregation savings, supply chain technology, spend analytics and customized service. Find out more about CHAMPS GPO membership benefits here. Parties interested in partnering with CHAMPS GPO as a contracted supplier can learn more here.

About the Council of Smaller Enterprises

The Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE), the small business arm of GCP, provides networking and educational events, advocacy on legislative and regulatory issues, cost-effective group purchasing programs, and navigation to the right resources and solutions within the entrepreneurial ecosystem to help small businesses grow and succeed.