Roberts Design Build Solutions
BuyFair National Cooperative Group · Pre-Awarded Contract

Start Your Project This Month.
No RFP Required.

BuyFair cooperative contracts eliminate the 6–8 month procurement cycle. Roberts Design Build Solutions is a pre-awarded vendor — select us, issue a purchase order, and begin work in days.

Months of Procurement — or Days?

Traditional RFPs consume months of staff time and tens of thousands in soft costs before any work begins. Cooperative contracts compress that timeline to days.

Traditional RFP Process

Market Research & Needs Assessment 2–4 weeks
Develop Specifications & Bid Documents 3–6 weeks
Publish RFP & Advertisement Period 3–4 weeks
Evaluate Proposals & References 2–4 weeks
Negotiate Terms & Legal Review 2–4 weeks
Board Approval & Award 2–4 weeks
Execute Contract & Begin Work 1–2 weeks
4–8 Months
$86,000+ in procurement costs

Cooperative Contract Process

Select Roberts DBS via BuyFair Same day
Issue Purchase Order 1–3 days
Begin Work Immediately
Days, Not Months
$0 procurement cost

What Is BuyFair?

BuyFair is a national governmental purchasing cooperative led by Region 15 Education Service Center, a Texas state agency. Through a rigorous competitive solicitation process, BuyFair pre-awards contracts to qualified vendors — giving public agencies across all 50 states the ability to procure services without conducting their own RFP.

Roberts Environmental Control Corp is a BuyFair-awarded vendor for HVAC, mechanical, and design-build services. The competitive solicitation has already been completed — your agency simply piggybacks on the existing award.

Membership is free. No fees, no obligations, no minimums. 100% audit-proof with complete solicitation documentation available on request.

View Our BuyFair Profile
BuyFair National Cooperative Group

BuyFair's 6-Step Competitive Process

  • Solicitation: Region 15 ESC develops the competitive solicitation with detailed evaluation criteria
  • National Advertisement: Published nationally to ensure broad vendor participation and competition
  • Piggybacking Language: Solicitation includes cooperative language enabling multi-state use
  • Sealed Responses: Vendors submit sealed proposals evaluated against published criteria
  • Independent Evaluation: Evaluation committee scores and ranks all responses
  • Award: Contracts awarded to qualified vendors based on best value

The Benefits of Cooperative Contracting

Cooperative contracts deliver the same competitive integrity as traditional procurement — with dramatically less time, cost, and risk.

80% Time Savings

Eliminate 4–8 months of RFP development, advertisement, evaluation, and negotiation. Select a pre-awarded vendor, issue a purchase order, and begin work in days — not quarters.

Significant Cost Reduction

Traditional RFPs cost agencies $86,000+ in consultant fees, legal review, staff time, and advertisement. Cooperative contracts eliminate these soft costs entirely — redirecting budget to the actual project.

Full Compliance

All 50 states authorize cooperative purchasing. BuyFair contracts are competitively solicited by a Texas state agency with complete documentation available for auditors — satisfying even the strictest procurement requirements.

Pre-Vetted Quality

BuyFair vendors are evaluated on qualifications, experience, and capability — not just price. Roberts DBS was awarded through a competitive solicitation that assessed technical merit, safety record, and project delivery history.

Reduced Risk

No more low-bid surprises. Cooperative contracts are best-value awards with established terms, insurance requirements, and performance standards. You know exactly who you're working with before the project starts.

Emergency Ready

When HVAC systems fail mid-semester or grant deadlines expire, there's no time for a 6-month RFP. Cooperative contracts give you a pre-approved path to immediate action — without cutting compliance corners.

Who Can Use Cooperative Contracts?

BuyFair cooperative contracts are available to over 90,000 public agencies and eligible organizations nationwide.

K-12 Schools

Public school districts with capital improvement, life safety, or facility upgrade needs

Colleges & Universities

Higher education facilities with HVAC, mechanical, or building infrastructure needs

Hospitals & Healthcare

Healthcare facilities with critical HVAC, air quality, or infection control needs

City & County Government

Municipal buildings, public works, courthouses, and government-owned facilities

State & Federal Agencies

Government facilities requiring mechanical, HVAC, or building system upgrades

Non-Profit Organizations

501(c)(3) organizations and community facilities eligible for cooperative purchasing

Tribal Entities

Tribal government facilities and organizations eligible under cooperative statutes

Houses of Worship

Churches, synagogues, mosques, and religious facilities eligible through BuyFair

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the most common questions procurement teams ask about cooperative contracting.

Does this bypass competitive bidding?

No. BuyFair contracts are competitively solicited through Region 15 Education Service Center, a Texas state agency. The full competitive process — including national advertisement, sealed responses, and independent evaluation — has already been completed. Your agency piggybacks on an existing, fully compliant award. Complete solicitation documentation is available for auditors.

Is this compliant in our state?

Yes. All 50 states have statutes authorizing cooperative purchasing. BuyFair contracts include piggybacking language specifically designed for multi-state use. In Illinois, cooperative purchasing is authorized under the Governmental Joint Purchasing Act (30 ILCS 525) and the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act (5 ILCS 220). Your legal counsel can verify applicability for your specific entity type.

Will we get competitive pricing?

Yes. Cooperative contract pricing is established through a competitive solicitation process — the same market forces that drive traditional bids apply here. Additionally, your agency eliminates $86,000+ in procurement costs (consultant fees, legal review, advertisement, staff time, evaluation) that a traditional RFP requires. That savings goes directly to your project budget.

What if our project is complex?

The cooperative contract provides the procurement framework — it does not limit project scope or complexity. Roberts DBS customizes every project to your facility's specific requirements, including engineering, design, equipment selection, and installation. We've delivered complex multi-building HVAC retrofits, displacement induction systems, and full design-build projects through cooperative contracts.

We've always done RFPs. Why change?

Traditional RFPs served their purpose, but infrastructure needs have accelerated. Aging HVAC systems, indoor air quality mandates, energy code requirements, and expiring grant deadlines don't wait 6–8 months for procurement. Cooperative contracting delivers the same competitive integrity in days instead of months — so your facilities get upgraded while funding is still available and summer construction windows are open.

How quickly can we start?

Days, not months. Once your agency selects Roberts DBS via the BuyFair cooperative contract and issues a purchase order, work can begin immediately. There is no separate RFP, no public notice period, and no evaluation committee required. For school districts, this means projects can be scoped in spring, approved by the board, and completed over summer break.