Certifications and Organizations

North Carolina Association of Governmental Purchasing (NCAGP)

Originally established as a chapter of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP), the North Carolina Association of Governmental Purchasing (NCAGP) was organized in 1953. Its members are employees of state or local governments in North Carolina whose duties consist of purchasing materials, supplies, apparatus, equipment, or contractual services. NCAGP co-sponsors School of Government programs offered throughout the year on topics of interest to state and local government employees involved in purchasing and contracting. Visit the Courses link to learn more about these programs. NCAGP is a chapter of NIGP.

Membership: For information about becoming a member of NCAGP, learn more here.

The 2025 NCAGP Annual Conference will be held from Monday, March 17, through Thursday, March 20, 2024, in Greensboro, NC. To learn more and register, visit the NCAGP Conference webpage.

Certified Local Government Purchasing Officer Certification

About: NCAGP, through the CLGPO Certification Committee, offers a professional certification known as the Certified Local Government Purchasing Officer (CLGPO) certification.

Eligibility and Requirements: See this publication for all CLGPO requirements and instructions for completing the application process: CLGPO Requirements - Revised 2017.pdf . Generally speaking, to be eligible for certification, an applicant must:

have at least 3 years of experience in the governmental purchasing profession;
be a member of NCAGP;
complete four core courses offered by the School of Government (click here for core courses);
earn 22 points through activities such as training, conference attendance, service to NCAGP, and higher education, and
pass a certification examination administered by the School of Government.

Once certified, purchasers are eligible for recertification every five years and may seek permanent, lifetime certification. If you have questions about certification qualifications, please email NCAGP Certification Committee Chair Chris Payne at chris.payne@greensboro-nc.gov.

Applying for Certification: Send the completed application to Susan Hutchinson at cecoordinator@sog.unc.edu.

Click on the links below to access the application.

Exam Only

Certification

Recertification

Lifetime Certification

NEXT CLGPO EXAM: The exam will be held online Wednesday, February 26, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. until noon. Exam applications must be approved by the CLGPO Certification Committee for applicants to sit for the exam. Email faculty lead Crista Cuccaro at cuccaro@sog.unc.edu with any questions regarding the CLGPO exam. There will be an exam review session, location to be determined, on Wednesday February 12, 2025.

Certified Economic Inclusion Officer Certification

The North Carolina Minority and Women Business Enterprise Coordinators' Network offers a certification program for public supplier diversity professionals called the Certified Economic Inclusion Officer (CEIO) program. Individuals seeking CEIO certification must take three core courses from the UNC School of Government, pass a certification exam administered by the UNC School of Government, be a member of the Network, have at least two years of experience in the public supplier diversity profession, attend a Network conference, and gain 100 certification points in specified professional education topics. Individuals who achieve CEIO certification will have knowledge, skills, and abilities in the development and administration of MWBE, HUB, and DBE programs in the State of North Carolina, public procurement laws, skills in communication and advocacy, and knowledge of economic development at the local level. To learn more, visit the Network's certification page.

The core courses required for CEIO certification and offered by the UNC School of Government are (1) Minority Participation Programs and Public Contracting, (2) Basic Principles of Local Government Purchasing, and (3) Contracting for Construction and Design Services.

NEXT CEIO EXAM: The next CEIO examination will be in Spring 2025. Details will be released when they are available.

Other Certifications

NIGP, through the Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council (UPPCC), offers the Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) certification and the Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) certification. To learn more about these certifications, visit the NIGP's certification webpage and the UPPCC's website.