Emerald South Announces ‘Shared Purchasing Network’ Saves South Side Small Businesses Thousands of Dollars a Year on Essential Services

CHICAGO – The Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative, the economic development partner of The Obama Foundation, today announced that the Shared Purchasing Network (SPN) has helped South Side small businesses and nonprofits secure bids that reduce waste, recycling, and composting costs by an average of 35 percent – amounting to thousands of dollars in savings per organization each year. These savings represent what participating businesses stand to save before they transition into final vendor contracts.

“Supporting the economic vitality of the South Side has always been central to our mission, and the Shared Purchasing Network is a powerful example of what’s possible when we listen to and partner with local small business owners,” said Valerie Jarrett, CEO of The Obama Foundation. “By working with Emerald South to design this initiative from the ground up, we helped create a more inclusive, accessible way for entrepreneurs to reduce their costs and strengthen their operations. These savings aren’t just numbers—they represent real resources that small businesses can reinvest in their employees, their growth, and their communities.”

To date, more than 75 South Side small businesses and nonprofit organizations have joined the SPN, which leverages collective buying power to negotiate better contract terms and lower rates for core operational goods and services. Among the organizations that received quotes for new waste, recycling and composting contracts through that first bid process, 16 organizations with potential savings greater than 40 percent and 9 organizations had potential savings of more than 50 percent, including one at 89 percent.

“The early results from this first RFP confirm that this model works in Chicago,” said Ghian Foreman, president and CEO of the Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative. “When a local nonprofit or neighborhood business can cut a core bill by 40 or 50 percent based on competitive bids, that can be the difference between reducing hours and growing their staff. With the Obama Foundation anchoring the pool, we are showing that institutions and local businesses can move together and share the benefits.”

Developed in close collaboration with The Obama Foundation, Emerald South launched the SPN in 2025 after convening local small business owners, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders to identify the most essential services for inclusion in the SPN and to design a more inclusive, accessible procurement process. The Foundation also serves as the anchor program participant and will use the SPN when the Obama Presidential Center opens in 2026. 

“Most of the business owners we work with are managing a lot on their own, and they rarely have time to renegotiate or shop around for a better waste contract,” said Rhonda McFarland, executive director of the Quad Communities Development Corporation. “Through the Shared Purchasing Network, they are seeing multiple bids lined up next to each other, often with significantly lower costs and better terms. That frees up money they can put back into their storefronts, into hiring, and into serving their customers.”

Small businesses and nonprofits across Chicago can participate in the Shared Purchasing Network, with Emerald South and community partners focusing outreach on owners in historically under-resourced communities where operating costs are a significant constraint. Emerald South anticipates adding services, such as insurance, security, natural gas, and more in the months ahead.

"Through the Shared Purchasing Network, Green Era was able to partner with Obama Presidential Center to recycle the center's food waste, transforming kitchen scraps and spoiled food into clean energy, clean soil, and jobs on Chicago's South Side, said Jason Feldman, Co-Founder at Green Era. "We see this as a practical way for local employers to save money and invest in their communities at the same time."

The Shared Purchasing Network is managed in partnership with Community Purchasing Alliance, a Washington, D.C.-based cooperative that has operated similar shared purchasing programs for more than a decade. Capital One provided financial support for Emerald South’s costs for the initiative, including building the Shared Purchasing Network website and technology platform, which streamlines intake, data collection, and competitive bidding for Chicago organizations.

Small businesses and nonprofits across Chicago can learn more about the Shared Purchasing Network, upload current contracts for review, and sign up for upcoming purchasing pools at sharedpurchasingnetwork.org (Opens in a new tab). Participants receive one-on-one support to compare bids, understand terms, and map out transitions as their existing contracts come to an end.

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Contact: Emily Bittner, press@obama.org