September 15, 2026
Information Technology
DATE: September 15, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Sue Hartman, Director of Information Technology,
Henry Lei, Network and System Cyber Security Officer,
Vedika Ahuja, Chief Innovations Officer
Subject:
Purchasing Agreement with Carahsoft Technology Corp.
for City Standard Software Licensing
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with adoption of this resolution. The authorization to use a piggyback
agreement does not create an expenditure or require
an appropriation; any purchases will be made only
from pre-approved, adopted department budgets in
accordance with City procurement policies.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
City staff is requesting authorization to utilize an existing competitively procured OMNIA Partners contract held by
Cobb County, Georgia, with Carahsoft Technology Corp.
to purchase City standard software licenses, including
enterprise licensing. The proposed piggyback agreement
would provide a streamlined procurement method for
these technology purchases while maintaining
compliance with applicable purchasing requirements.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution to APPROVE a piggyback
purchasing agreement with Carahsoft Technology Corp.,
utilizing Cobb County, Georgia, OMNIA Partners
Contract No. 23-6692-01 for Technology Products,
Solutions and Related Services, to procure City standard software licenses, including enterprise licensing, in an amount not to exceed $500,000 per year, for the term
September 15, 2026, through April 30, 2028 –
AGENDA
REPORT
September 15, 2026
Information Technology Department (Sue Hartman 510-
620-6874).
DISCUSSION:
The City has ongoing needs to purchase technology-related goods and services for various departments. Finance staff conducted an analysis and prepared an estimate of the anticipated city-wide purchases of a variety of related goods and services, including but not limited materials, equipment, vehicles, and apparatus. These purchases are necessary to ensure the continued delivery of programs and services city-wide.
Summary of Procurement Process
Rather than initiating a new procurement process, the City of Richmond is proposing to utilize a piggyback procurement method, which is permitted under California Public Contract Code Section 20118 and Richmond Municipal Code Section 2.52.330.
Piggyback procurement allows one public agency to leverage an existing competitively bid contract from another agency, provided that the procurement process complied with all applicable laws, and the services being procured are substantially similar to the services already covered in the existing contract. This method helps reduce costs, streamline the procurement process, and expedite service delivery while ensuring competitive pricing and compliance with public procurement requirements.
OMNIA is a leading national government purchasing resource, providing world-class government procurement resources and solutions to local and state government agencies, school districts (K-12), higher education institutions, and nonprofits looking for the best overall supplier government pricing. OMNIA partners with many governmental agencies to offer piggyback purchasing contracts to other governmental agencies to economically procure services and supplies, pay less for products and services, and reduce administrative costs in developing contracts.
Before purchasing any enterprise software license, including an AI solution, IT follows a documented review process to confirm the business need, technical compatibility, cybersecurity and privacy safeguards, data-handling requirements, accessibility, licensing terms, and compliance with City procurement policies. AI solutions receive additional scrutiny regarding data exposure, vendor controls, and responsible use, and no purchase is finalized until all required IT, legal, procurement, and budget approvals are complete.
City staff members request approval and spending authority to cover expenditures using the piggyback purchasing agreement with Carahsoft per resolution that will be used to procure City standard software licenses including enterprise Microsoft licensing and AI related software tools for a term beginning September 15, 2026, and ending April 30, 2028.
September 15, 2026
SYNERGISTIC POLICIES:
The recommendations in this report are in accordance with Richmond Municipal Code section 2.52.330), which authorizes the Director of Finance to utilize piggyback purchasing agreement to purchase supplies or services through legal contracts of other governmental jurisdictions or public agencies without separate competitive bidding by the City.
In an ongoing effort to maximize cost savings and staff resources, many government agencies share contracting efforts through piggyback purchasing agreements. This procurement approach increases pricing competitiveness and lowers operating costs through volume purchasing. When comparing the administrative cost of procurement, staff considers product research, source selection, specifications, advertising, staff reports, awarding, protest, and administration of the contract. It is often more cost- effective to eliminate the cost and time spent on these administrative processes and purchase items and services through a piggyback purchasing program. The City has used both regional and national piggyback purchasing agreements to complement its own contracting initiatives. Piggyback purchasing enables City departments and the Procurement Division to evaluate a broader range of contracting opportunities and to share resources with other jurisdictions. Piggyback purchasing also leverages internal and external resources to maximize cost savings opportunities for the City.
City staff members request approval to enter into an agreement with Carahsoft in an amount not to exceed $500,000 per year for a term beginning September 15, 2026, and ending April 30, 2028.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – OMNIA Contract
Attachment 3 – Solicitation RFP
OMNIA PIGGYBACK AGREEMENT
Vendor Name Piggyback Agreement Description
Carahsoft Contract Contract # GA:
23-6692-01
Technology Product Solutions
and Related Services