How to Buy Emergency Kits for Schools and Public Agencies: POs, GSA, CMAS, and Cooperative Contracts
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Schools and public agencies usually buy emergency kits in one of four ways: a direct purchase order, a contract vehicle such as the GSA Multiple Award Schedule or California's CMAS, a cooperative purchasing agreement, or a formal solicitation such as an RFQ, RFP, or bid. The right route depends on your agency's purchasing rules and the size of your order. This guide explains each option and the steps to follow.
Written by Mina Arnao, Founder at More Prepared.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
The four ways to buy emergency kits
| Route | What it is | Often used when |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase order | You order from a quote and pay by purchase order, which is subject to review and acceptance | The order fits within your agency's direct-purchase authority |
| Contract vehicle | You buy through a contract such as the GSA Multiple Award Schedule or California's CMAS | Your agency prefers a contract that has already been competed |
| Cooperative purchasing | You use a shared agreement such as GoodBuy, EPCNT, or CTPA, where your organization is eligible | You want to buy through an agreement your agency can already use |
| Formal solicitation | You issue an RFQ, RFP, or invitation for bid and vendors respond | Your rules or order size call for competitive bidding |
Contract eligibility, product coverage, and required procedures vary by organization and purchasing vehicle, so confirm what your purchasing office is authorized to use. More Prepared can help confirm the right pathway. See our overview of contract and cooperative purchasing.
Which route fits which buyer?
| Buyer | Routes to consider |
|---|---|
| Federal agencies | GSA Multiple Award Schedule, including GSA Advantage |
| California agencies and school districts | CMAS, purchase orders, and cooperative agreements |
| State, local, and educational agencies elsewhere | Purchase orders, cooperative purchasing where eligible, and formal bids |
| Large or multi-site programs | Formal solicitations (RFQ, RFP, IFB), often with custom configurations |
Step by step: how to buy emergency kits for a school or agency
- Define headcount and locations. Count the people each kit must cover and where kits will live: classrooms, floors, buildings, or campuses. Our pages on school emergency kits and workplace emergency kits show how kits are sized.
- Choose your purchasing route. Confirm with your purchasing office which options you are authorized to use.
- Request a quote. Email quotes@moreprepared.com, call 888.733.7245, or request a quote online. Include your organization name, quantities or headcount, delivery ZIP codes, your preferred delivery date, and your purchasing method or contract. Quotes can be prepared per classroom and per student to support funding requests. Our how-to-buy page lists everything that helps us quote accurately.
- Gather vendor documents. Most purchasing offices ask for some combination of a W-9, a certificate of insurance, SAM.gov registration, a capabilities statement, and certifications. References and past-performance information are available on request. See our vendor documents and certifications pages.
- Place the order. Send purchase orders to orders@moreprepared.com with the approved quote attached. Purchase orders are subject to review and acceptance, and payment terms depend on credit approval and contract terms. For approved government and public-sector customers, we also accept GSA Schedule orders, government purchase cards (P-cards), and credit cards. If your organization is tax exempt, send a valid exemption certificate before ordering, since tax-exempt status is reviewed and approved. See what to include on a purchase order.
- Plan delivery. Rolling-bin kits ship palletized by freight carrier, with curbside delivery as standard. Liftgate, inside delivery, scheduled appointments, and white-glove delivery (when available) can be quoted, and we support deliveries to multiple locations. See shipping and multi-site delivery and lead times.
- Plan replenishment. Food, water, and medical items expire, and replenishment kits let you replace only what has expired. Browse school replenishment kits and workplace replenishment kits.
Documents purchasing offices commonly ask for
- W-9
- Certificate of insurance
- SAM.gov registration and UEI
- Capabilities statement
- GSA contract number (GS-07F-265BA) and cooperative-purchasing information, on our GSA page
- Small-business, woman-owned business, and California state and local certifications, on our certifications page
- References and past-performance information, on request
Frequently asked questions
Do you accept purchase orders?
Yes. We accept purchase orders from qualifying schools, government agencies, businesses, and institutional organizations, subject to review and order acceptance. Receipt of a purchase order is not final acceptance until we confirm pricing, availability, delivery requirements, and payment terms.
Does every purchase order get net 30 terms?
No. Payment terms depend on credit approval, contract requirements, order value, and other order-specific factors. Approved terms are stated on the quote, order acknowledgement, invoice, or applicable contract.
Do you accept government purchase cards?
Yes. For approved government and public-sector customers we accept government purchase cards (P-cards) and credit cards, in addition to GSA Schedule orders and purchase orders.
How do we establish tax-exempt status?
Send a valid exemption certificate and your organization's account information before placing the order. Tax-exempt status must be reviewed and approved, and submitting a purchase order does not make an order tax exempt on its own.
Can a school or local agency buy through your GSA contract?
Certain purchasing programs under a GSA Schedule may be available to eligible state and local agencies and for disaster-related procurement, subject to program rules and agency authority. We can help confirm eligibility and the most appropriate purchasing pathway. See our GSA contract page for contract details and verification links.
Can you respond to a formal bid, RFQ, or RFP?
Yes. Send the complete solicitation and all requirements to quotes@moreprepared.com, and allow enough time for product sourcing, freight calculations, document review, and approvals. We support RFQs, RFPs, IFBs, approved-equal and substitution requests, and vendor questionnaires.
Can you complete our vendor-onboarding forms?
Yes. We regularly help with vendor questionnaires, certifications, insurance requests, supplier forms, references, and related procurement documents.
Can kits be customized or branded for our district or agency?
Yes. Contents, quantities, labeling, and deployment configurations can be customized for volume orders, multi-site programs, and organization-specific requirements. See our custom kit programs.
Next steps
Ready to price an order? Request a quote or call 888.733.7245. For contract details, see our pages on GSA, CMAS, GoodBuy, and cooperative purchasing.