Governor Josh Stein has declared March as Procurement Month, recognizing the contributions of purchasing, acquisition, and material management professionals across private, non-profit, and government sectors. These professionals are responsible for overseeing significant expenditures on goods and services annually at local, state, and federal levels.
Procurement plays a key role in government operations by ensuring that essential goods and services are acquired efficiently to support functions such as education, health services, transportation, and administration.
“These professionals are the backbones of our agencies and institutions,” said NC Department of Administration’s Secretary Gabriel J. Esparza. “From vaccines that supply our health departments to forestry equipment to manage our state parks, every day they work to ensure we have the goods and services necessary for agencies to function and serve the residents of our state.”
The North Carolina Department of Administration’s Division of Purchase and Contract (P&C) serves as the central procurement authority for state government. The division has worked to modernize procurement practices by updating technology systems, providing educational opportunities for staff development, and streamlining contract processes.
In 2025, P&C was recognized with the George Cronin Award for its internship program aimed at encouraging more people to pursue careers in procurement. The division also received an award for its Aspiring Procurement Professional program—an 11-month initiative that offers college students hands-on experience in procurement tasks such as contract management and professional development activities. Approximately one third of program graduates have gone on to work in procurement after graduation.
Recent improvements include expanding training programs with new certifications for purchasers and contract managers. Additionally, P&C launched a cloud-based electronic portal that consolidates three separate state procurement systems into a single platform designed to increase efficiency while reducing time requirements and saving taxpayer funds.
For further information about Purchase and Contract programs or initiatives, individuals can visit the NCDOA website.
