February 17, 2026
Sustainable, local procurement builds prosperity and Appalachia is ready.
Appalachia is home to a deep tradition of craftsmanship, abundant natural resources, and businesses rooted in community. From manufacturers and makers to service providers and suppliers, Appalachian enterprises are already producing high-quality goods and services. But these local businesses are often forgotten when governments and private developers bid on contracts.
That’s where the procurement process comes in.
What Is Procurement—and Why Should We Care?
Procurement is simply purchasing. But sustainable procurement is purchasing with a purpose.
Procurement includes the planning, sourcing, and securing of the goods, services, and resources that institutions need to operate. Our local, state, and federal governments spend billions of dollars every year through procurement. That spending power represents enormous, often untapped potential to strengthen Appalachian economies—if directed intentionally.
Sustainable, local procurement policies encourage local governments and institutions to buy from local businesses, support good jobs, and reduce environmental harm. Just as importantly, they help de-risk sustainability for small and mid-sized businesses by creating reliable markets for locally made, responsibly produced goods and services.
In other words: procurement can be a powerful economic development tool. If we use it that way.
The Case for Local Preference in Procurement Policies
Too often, procurement systems prioritize the lowest upfront cost without accounting for long-term community impacts.
Instead, and especially when our taxpayer dollars are involved, procurement policies should include preferences for local and regional products, especially in:
- Government bids for civic buildings and infrastructure
- Public purchasing by schools, universities, and hospitals
- Community benefits frameworks guiding new development
When institutions buy locally, more dollars stay in the region, supporting workers, small businesses, and the local tax base.
Low-Cost Bidding Costs Local Communities
As shown in this 2023 report from the Keystone Research Center and Illinois Economic Policy Institute, procurement policy prioritizing best value overlow cost can create more savings in the long term. When the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) initiated the Andy Warhol Bridge re-painting project in Pittsburgh in 2016, the winning bidder subcontracted $9 million in painting work to a Florida-based contractor that brought in an entirely out-of-state workforce. The study found that this choice cost the local economy 59 jobs, $1.4 million in business sales, $88,000 in state and local taxes and $31,000 in local apprenticeship training funds. Further, the project had a cost overrun of $622,000 alongside reports of worker misclassification, wage theft, and payroll fraud.
When municipalities release requests for proposals calling for developers to plan and develop an area, especially for publicly-owned sites, they should attach standards for the work, such as PLAs, local employment standards and inclusion goals for minority or women owned businesses. A low-cost bid looks only at the cost of a service and no other factors. With a best-value RFP that includes community and labor standards, the entity can include standards that de-risk public investments and amplify local benefits.
Low cost-focused bidding frequently becomes an instance of “penny-wise and pound foolish.” Numerous studies have shown that best value approaches to procurement set communities up for project success and amplified benefits across the local economy.
A Vision for a Thriving Appalachian Procurement Ecosystem
ReImagine Appalachia envisions a regional procurement ecosystem where institutions intentionally purchase products and services that are:
- Made in Appalachia
- Made Sustainably
- Made Equitably
These are values that we use to shape our Make it in Appalachia workplan, which aims to grow sustainable manufacturing in the region. These values are also at play in our Economic, Community and Responsible Development Principleswhich details standards for publicly-funded projects that are designed to maximize benefits to communities, workers, and the environment.
Advocating for local procurement can help ensure that new developments, such as data centers, support the regional ecosystem by supporting local manufacturers and other suppliers. When paired with other development standards, these common sense policies help ensure that investments in our region truly benefit us, as opposed to simply extracting local resources to benefit those outside the region.
Circular economy event in Huntington, West Virginia.
A values-based procurement strategy would help governments and major institutions prioritize Appalachian bidders while also rewarding social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and fair labor practices.
To make this vision real, a Sustainable and Local Procurement program should focus on the following core objectives:
- Establishing procurement policy templates that favor local and regional purchasing for public agencies and anchor institutions
- Launching a marketplace and verification system for Appalachian-made, sustainable, and equitable products
- Hosting matchmaking events and pitch sessions to connect buyers with local suppliers
- Providing technical assistance to help businesses meet procurement requirements and achieve sustainability or equity certifications
- Publishing an annual “State of the Sector” report on values-based procurement in Appalachia
Building on What Already Works
We don’t have to start from scratch.
National networks like Purchasing with Purpose already connect buyers, enterprises, and partner organizations to advance place-based purchasing strategies. Certifications such as B Corp, FSC, Energy Star, and Fair Trade help buyers identify products that support workers, local economies, and environmental health.
A regional Buy Appalachia campaign should build on these models—helping municipalities, schools, and businesses adopt sustainable procurement policies, while supporting Appalachian manufacturers in producing high-quality, locally made, sustainable goods that meet institutional needs.
Why It Matters Now
Local procurement is one of the most immediate and scalable tools we have to support and strengthen local economies, strengthen supply chains, and invest in a more just and sustainable Appalachian future.
When we buy it in Appalachia, we’re not just purchasing products—we’re investing in our people, our land, and our shared prosperity.