Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I buy off MHEC contracts? 
If you are a public or not-for-profit higher education institution in one of our member states, yes, you can use our contracts. Also, depending on the specific contract, other organizations may be able to use it. In some cases K-12, state government, or city, local, and political subdivisions may be eligible. Faculty, staff, and students can buy from the Dell contract. In specific instances other states may have access to a contract. Eligibility is clearly described on each contract’s home page at www.mhectech.org.
2. What do I have to do to become a member of MHEC?
Nothing in needed if your state is already a member of MHEC. If your state is not a MHEC member, then you can check the relevant contract’s home page to see if your state is eligible through one of the other interstate compacts (WICHE, SREB, NEBHE).
3. Is there a MHEC membership fee?
Yes, but your state pays it on your behalf. There are no membership fees for you to pay to use our contracts, but we do collect fees (most often indirectly) when institutions use our contracts. Directly-collected fees are indicated on the relevant contract page.
4. Can I still use your contracts even though I’m required to use an RFP?
Because MHEC is an instrumentality of state government in each of our member states and state government funds us, our contracts must adhere to the purchasing policies of the member states. With very few exceptions our contracts are the result of an RFP. The exceptions are for products that are allowed to be single-sourced under state procurement laws due to their unique nature.
5. Where can I find information about a specific contract?
Check the contract’s home page at www.mhectech.org for specific contract terms. In all cases price lists or discount schedules are also available.
6. Can my company become one of your suppliers?
If we have an RFP out for bid, then you can respond. If you have an award under a national contract (such as WSCA), then we may be interested in signing a participating addendum. However, we do not maintain a suppliers list.
7. What contracts are you working on?
As a rule we do not discuss the areas where we will RFP until the bid document becomes public, but we will occasionally ask institutions for their opinions in specific areas. Once an RFP has been issued, we will not discuss it with related vendors until the bid process is complete.
8. Are you going to do a contract for (…) soon?
Our list of RFP topics is set once a year in the spring. In general, we can say the list will be comprised of areas where higher education institutions are having difficulty with vendors because of price, contract terms, or services. The list is not made public.
9. Who decides what RFPs you issue?
The MHEC Technologies Committee decides.
10. Who is on your Technologies Committee?
The current membership of our Technologies Committee can be found at www.mhec.org/committees or more detail can be found at www.mhectech.org/techcmte.
11. How can I get involved?
There is often a waiting list for membership on the main committee, but other involvement on specific RFP committees is possible. Contact Grant Crawford at (612) 626-6383 for more information.
12. I’ve noticed there is another MHEC out there. Are you affiliated?
There are several other organizations using the initials MHEC. We are not affiliated with any of them.
13. I want to talk to someone. Who do I contact?
For general technology enquiries contact Grant Crawford at (612) 626-6383.
For contract legal questions contact Rob Trembath at (612) 624-1812.
If you are a public or not-for-profit higher education institution in one of our member states, yes, you can use our contracts. Also, depending on the specific contract, other organizations may be able to use it. In some cases K-12, state government, or city, local, and political subdivisions may be eligible. Faculty, staff, and students can buy from the Dell contract. In specific instances other states may have access to a contract. Eligibility is clearly described on each contract’s home page at www.mhectech.org.
2. What do I have to do to become a member of MHEC?
Nothing in needed if your state is already a member of MHEC. If your state is not a MHEC member, then you can check the relevant contract’s home page to see if your state is eligible through one of the other interstate compacts (WICHE, SREB, NEBHE).
3. Is there a MHEC membership fee?
Yes, but your state pays it on your behalf. There are no membership fees for you to pay to use our contracts, but we do collect fees (most often indirectly) when institutions use our contracts. Directly-collected fees are indicated on the relevant contract page.
4. Can I still use your contracts even though I’m required to use an RFP?
Because MHEC is an instrumentality of state government in each of our member states and state government funds us, our contracts must adhere to the purchasing policies of the member states. With very few exceptions our contracts are the result of an RFP. The exceptions are for products that are allowed to be single-sourced under state procurement laws due to their unique nature.
5. Where can I find information about a specific contract?
Check the contract’s home page at www.mhectech.org for specific contract terms. In all cases price lists or discount schedules are also available.
6. Can my company become one of your suppliers?
If we have an RFP out for bid, then you can respond. If you have an award under a national contract (such as WSCA), then we may be interested in signing a participating addendum. However, we do not maintain a suppliers list.
7. What contracts are you working on?
As a rule we do not discuss the areas where we will RFP until the bid document becomes public, but we will occasionally ask institutions for their opinions in specific areas. Once an RFP has been issued, we will not discuss it with related vendors until the bid process is complete.
8. Are you going to do a contract for (…) soon?
Our list of RFP topics is set once a year in the spring. In general, we can say the list will be comprised of areas where higher education institutions are having difficulty with vendors because of price, contract terms, or services. The list is not made public.
9. Who decides what RFPs you issue?
The MHEC Technologies Committee decides.
10. Who is on your Technologies Committee?
The current membership of our Technologies Committee can be found at www.mhec.org/committees or more detail can be found at www.mhectech.org/techcmte.
11. How can I get involved?
There is often a waiting list for membership on the main committee, but other involvement on specific RFP committees is possible. Contact Grant Crawford at (612) 626-6383 for more information.
12. I’ve noticed there is another MHEC out there. Are you affiliated?
There are several other organizations using the initials MHEC. We are not affiliated with any of them.
13. I want to talk to someone. Who do I contact?
For general technology enquiries contact Grant Crawford at (612) 626-6383.
For contract legal questions contact Rob Trembath at (612) 624-1812.
14. Where can I find a link to various statewide, regional, or national conferences for technology and/or procurement?
MHEC tracks a number of conferences and you may link to the calendar here.
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MHECtech is a service of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC). MHEC is charged with promoting interstate cooperation and resource sharing in higher education through its three core functions: cost savings programs, student access, and policy research. Visit us at www.mhec.org For more information, contact Grant Crawford, MHEC CIO, at (612) 626-6383. |