November 3, 2016

The U.S. Communities purchasing program has 40 contracts currently available to help local governments purchase what they need. However, the average California county only uses two contracts, potentially leaving significant savings on the table. Counties can realize more savings if they take advantage of more of the supplier contracts. This no-cost program is available to all counties, cities, special districts, and non-profits and offers the lowest local government pricing on all contract items.

Since the offerings on U.S. Communities are constantly evolving, the CSAC Finance Corporation, CSAC, and the League of California Cities are co-sponsoring a series of free U.S. Communities briefings throughout California this year. The purpose of these briefings, known as the U.S. Communities Suppliers Summits, is to help inform local government staff how to take advantage of the many (including some new) procurement options in the U.S. Communities purchasing program.

Please urge your administrative staff responsible for facilities, IT, fleet, parks & recreation, public safety, public works and HR activities to attend a Summit in your area. Our final summit of the year is being held in Yuba County on November 16^th at 10:00am. Details and registration info can be accessed here.

In addition to the Summit, we are excited to announce that Experian has been awarded a multi-year contract to provide data, analytics and fraud detection services through the innovations solutions solicitation. This contract was awarded through a competitive solicitation process conducted by lead public agency, Fairfax County, Virginia. To learn more about this new contract and services available, register for a complimentary 30-minute webinar on November 15^th or 16^th.

Experian solutions and expertise makes it possible for public agencies to achieve mission success through solutions such as:

· Child support enforcement: Provides up-to-date contact data for noncustodial parents

· Collections: Maximizes recovery efforts with flexibility and minimal cost

· Contractor responsibility: Delivers essential data for vetting of potential vendors and contractors

· Data breach: Benefit from consumer credit monitoring and call center support for citizens impacted by a data breach

· Data cleansing: Verify and update best addresses for voter registration list hygiene

· Eligibility: Verify applicant identity and validate financial data for benefits determination, real-time monitoring of credit and financial data, and for continued benefits eligibility

· Online authentication/ Identity management: Authenticate new constituents for eServicing, online reauthorization of already registered constituents of eServicing and using knowledge-based out-of-wallet questions

· Tax return fraud: Improve detection of identity theft–based income-tax fraud

U.S. Communities was founded by the CSAC Finance Corporation, CSAC, and the League of California Cities and is the leading national cooperative purchasing program that leverages the buying power of over 90,000 public agencies. Please visit www.uscommunities.org for more information or contact Laura Labanieh at (916) 650-8186 or llabanieh@csacfinancecorp.org.