Contract Purchasing
COSTARS
Cooperative Purchasing
If you run a fleet for a Pennsylvania municipality, county, school district, or authority, COSTARS is built for you. It's the Commonwealth's cooperative purchasing program. It lets you buy Winter Equipment cutting edges, wear parts, and road maintenance equipment at pre-negotiated contract pricing — without running your own competitive bid.
Membership is free. There's no obligation to purchase. And if your organization isn't already a COSTARS member, joining takes only a few minutes.
Winter Equipment COSTARS Contract #: #######
Become a COSTARS member Contact Winter About Purchasing CALL: 888-294-9485
What COSTARS actually is
The Commonwealth's own buying power, pointed at your roads.
COSTARS is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS). It gives the Commonwealth's local governments and affiliated organizations the benefit of the state's purchasing power. By combining the volume of more than 9,500 Pennsylvania member organizations, it negotiates pricing no single township or district could secure alone.
Because it's a Commonwealth program built on the Pennsylvania Procurement Code, COSTARS membership is open only to Pennsylvania local public procurement units and state-affiliated entities. That includes:
- Municipalities — counties, cities, boroughs, townships, and authorities
- School districts, intermediate units, and charter schools
- Public libraries, colleges, and universities
- Volunteer fire, ambulance, and rescue companies
- Eligible nonprofits that serve these public entities
Why it's worth your time
9,500 members already negotiated the price.
You just place the order.
For the parts you already know you'll reorder, a fresh competitive bid every season is time your team doesn't have to spend. COSTARS clears that off your desk:
Skip the bid process.
COSTARS contracts are already competitively established under the Pennsylvania Procurement Code, so you're not soliciting your own bids for cutting edges.
Buy at pre-negotiated pricing.
You get pricing backed by the combined volume of more than 9,500 Pennsylvania member organizations.
Stay compliant.
Purchasing through COSTARS satisfies your competitive-procurement obligations, keeping your records clean and defensible.
Pay nothing to join.
No membership fee, no minimums, no obligation to ever place an order.
Choose from a deep contract library. COSTARS offers more than 100 pre-negotiated vendor contracts across categories — Winter Equipment's among them. The decision stays yours. COSTARS just clears the path to it.
Become a COSTARS member Contact Winter About Purchasing CALL: 888-294-9485How to get registered
Free to join, and you're a member in a few minutes
If your organization isn't already a participant, here's the whole process:
Verify your eligibility.
Confirm your organization qualifies as a Pennsylvania local public procurement unit or affiliated entity.
Complete the member registration.
Register through the COSTARS membership page on the PA DGS site. There's no fee.
Receive your member number.
Once your registration is confirmed, COSTARS issues your official member number and account access.
Browse contracts and start purchasing. With your membership active, you can buy from any COSTARS contract — including Winter Equipment's.
Become a COSTARS member Contact Winter About Purchasing CALL: 888-294-9485How to place your order
Buying from Winter Equipment with your COSTARS member number.
Once your organization is an active COSTARS member, buying from Winter Equipment is straightforward:
Identify what you need.
Browse our full line of cutting edge systems, plow guards, and more. Not sure whats best for you? Our experts will help you choose the right parts for your fleet.
Request a quote referencing COSTARS.
Contact Winter Equipment and tell us you're purchasing through COSTARS. Have your COSTARS member number and our contract number ready.
Order at contract pricing.
We’ll finalize your order using COSTARS pricing and ship you the high quality wear parts you need to keep your community safe this winter season.
Choosing quality parts is the easy decision.
COSTARS makes the purchase just as easy.
You already know which wear parts your fleet needs and when. COSTARS is the shortest compliant path from that decision to a purchase order, without a fresh bid standing in the way. And Winter Equipment is on the other end, ready to help you specify it right the first time.
For purchasing and product questions, call 888-294-9485.
For help with contract participation, registration, or paperwork, contact Christine at bids@winterequipment.com.
Or call us directly: 888-294-9485