Selling IT to universities, schools and hospitals

Beyond central and local government sits a large and often overlooked market: universities, colleges, school districts and health organizations. In Canada and the US this is often called the MASH sector (municipalities, academic institutions, schools and hospitals). Many of these bodies spend public money and follow public procurement rules.

How they buy

• Their own tenders, posted on their websites or shared portals such as Bids and Tenders, MERX or BC Bid in Canada, or regional portals in the US and UK.
• Quotes below their own thresholds.
• Group purchasing organizations that run competitions for many members:
  • Canada: Kinetic GPO and OECM for education and public bodies, and HealthPRO and Mohawk Medbuy for health.
  • US: cooperatives such as E&I Cooperative Services for education, and Sourcewell and OMNIA Partners.
  • UK: Jisc and regional consortia for universities and colleges, and NHS frameworks.
• Research grants, which sometimes fund IT purchases with their own rules.

In Ontario, the Broader Public Sector Procurement Directive sets rules for publicly funded organizations like hospitals, school boards and universities.

What they buy

Universities and colleges: student systems, learning platforms, research computing, data, websites, cybersecurity, networks, AV and classroom tech.

School boards: devices, networks, learning tools, student information systems, safety and communications.

Hospitals and health: clinical systems integration, patient portals, data and analytics, cybersecurity, IT support, networks and devices.

Special requirements

• Health privacy: health information laws, such as Ontario's PHIPA or HIPAA in the US, add obligations for anything touching patient data.
• Student privacy: laws and policies protecting student data, and limits on where it's stored.
• Accessibility: expected for learning and public-facing tools. See accessibility requirements.
• Security questionnaires: almost universal. See the security questionnaire checklist.

How small firms win

• Specialize. A firm known for higher education web platforms or hospital data integration stands out.
• Get on the group contracts your target institutions use.
• Use peer references. Universities talk to universities; hospitals talk to hospitals.
• Understand academic calendars. Universities and schools want changes over the summer, and buy in spring.

Common questions

Do universities have to follow public procurement rules?

Publicly funded universities often do, through provincial or state rules, trade agreements or their own policies. Rules vary by place and institution.

What is the MASH sector?

It stands for municipalities, academic institutions, schools and hospitals: publicly funded bodies outside central government.

How do I get on a group purchasing contract?

By bidding when the group purchasing organization runs its competition for that category. Watch their sites and portals for upcoming tenders.