In order to more effectively promote and ensure professionalism in public sector procurement, the National Institute for Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) and the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO), jointly established the Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council as an independent entity in 1978. The organization later changed its name to Universal Public Procurement Certification Council in 2010.

The functions of the Council are as follows:

To establish, monitor, and revise requirements for certification

To continue research efforts relating to the certification of public buyers and procurement officers

To coordinate with other NIGP and NASPO programs in order to further the certification of public procurement officers

To do all things necessary and proper to promote and insure professionalism in public procurement

The UPPCC offers two distinct levels of professional certification for the public procurement professional;

The CPPO level applies to individuals holding supervisory and/or management positions while the CPPB level applies to buyers at the non-management level. UPPCC programs are applicable to all public procurement personnel in federal, state and local government organizations and agencies.

Today, the CPPO and CPPB programs are the most highly regarded and well-respected certifications among procurement professionals and their employers in the public sector. To date, the UPPCC has certified well over 14,000 professionals primarily within the US and Canada, but in other nations around the globe.

The UPPCC is composed of two volunteer-led Boards; a governing body known as the Board of Directors and the Board of Examiners whose primary responsibility is exam development and administration.

[ Articles of Incorporation ]– last updated 4/28/2023

[ Bylaws ]– last updated 4/28/2023 

[ Code Of Ethics ] 

UPPCC Strategic Plan Summary - Updated 2021

Since 2010, UPPCC has been a proud sponsor of the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement (AEP) award program provided by the National Purchasing Institute (NPI).

In 1995, the National Purchasing Institute (NPI) founded the (AEP) award program. NPI is the public sector affiliate of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). The AEP is awarded annually to those organizations that demonstrate excellence by obtaining a minimum score on a rating of standardized criteria. The program is designed to measure innovation, professionalism, productivity, and leadership attributes of the procurement organization.

The program was created by the National Purchasing Institute to:

1. Recognize organizational excellence in public and non-profit procurement,
2. Encourage development of excellence,
3. Provide benchmarks for continued excellence, and
4. Increase awareness of public procurement as a profession.

More information including the electronic application and a list of all previous AEP recipients, visit the AEP Award page.