Do you work in the educational sector?
Then we don’t need to tell you that procurement is a significant part of keeping your operations running the whole academic year.
Between tight budgets, multiple departments ordering supplies, and the endless trail of approvals, it’s easy for schools and universities to lose track of where the money’s actually going.
Add in grants and compliance rules, and suddenly even buying basic supplies can feel like a nightmare.
The solution?
Start by choosing the right e-procurement solution for your organisation.
Here are the top 5 procurement software for education, starting with a platform designed to bring order to even the most chaotic purchasing environments.
1. ControlHub
Are you looking for an agile education eProcurement system?
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ControlHub is an eProcurement platform designed to cut through the chaos of traditional purchasing. Instead of dealing with lots of emails, spreadsheets, and disconnected systems, it gives schools and universities a single place to manage everything, from requests and approvals to purchase orders and invoices.
What makes it stand out is the balance: it’s powerful enough to handle the complexity of multi-campus institutions, but simple enough that non-technical staff can pick it up quickly.
For education, this is a big deal. Faculty and administrators aren’t procurement pros, they just want to get the supplies, equipment, or services they need without waiting weeks for approvals or dealing with budget surprises. ControlHub automates the boring parts, makes spending visible in real time, and ensures every dollar is accounted for. Whether it’s ordering laptops for a classroom, managing lab equipment for research, or tracking grant-funded purchases, ControlHub helps institutions stay compliant and efficient without adding extra layers of bureaucracy.
Key Features for Education
- Automated approval workflows with customizable spend limits
- Real-time budget tracking and analytics
- Supplier and catalogue integration for faster ordering
- Purchase order creation and invoice matching
- Inventory management for textbooks, devices, and lab supplies
- Secure payment options like virtual cards
Fit for Education
ControlHub works for schools, districts, and universities that need visibility and structure but don’t want a clunky enterprise system.
Strengths
- Cuts delays by streamlining approvals
- Improves transparency across multiple funding sources
- Scales easily as institutions grow
- User-friendly enough for non-procurement staff
2. Tradogram
Tradogram is a cloud-based eProcurement tool that gives you a lot of control with a degree of simplicity.. That means you can customize approvals, budgets, and reporting so they match your structure, not the other way around.
If you’re in education, this flexibility really matters. Maybe you’re running a district where multiple schools need centralized oversight, or maybe your university department has to manage its own grant-funded research projects.
With Tradogram, you can build the approval flow based on what you actually need.
And since it’s cloud-based, you and your staff can access it from anywhere, which is handy if your team is split across campuses or working remotely, something quite common these days.
Key Features for Education
- Customizable approval workflows tailored to your structure
- Budget tracking with detailed reporting you can share with stakeholders
- Supplier management and catalogue integration to simplify ordering
- Purchase requisition and PO management
- Contract and document management for compliance needs
Fit for Education
Tradogram works best if you want structure but don’t feel ready to commit to a large platform
It gives you the essentials, but you still get the freedom to set things up your way.
Strengths
- Highly customizable for unique school or university processes
- Cost-effective compared to larger enterprise platforms
- Easy to roll out and scale across multiple campuses
3. JAGGAER
JAGGAER is one of the most established names in eProcurement, and it has a strong track record in higher education.
If you’re part of a university or large school system, chances are you’ve heard the name before.
The platform is designed to handle complex purchasing environments where compliance, scale, and visibility are non-negotiable. In other words, if your institution juggles multiple departments, vendors, and funding sources, JAGGAER gives you the control and oversight you need.
What makes it stand out is its education-first approach. Many universities already use JAGGAER for research procurement, lab equipment, or grant-funded projects because it doesn’t just track spending, it makes compliance easier and streamlines relationships with pre-approved vendors. For you, that certainly means less work.
Key Features for Education
- End-to-end spend management with built-in compliance checks
- Supplier network tailored to education and research institutions
- Automated approval workflows that adapt to your org chart
- Catalogues and contract management to simplify vendor relationships
- Analytics and reporting for budget accountability
Fit for Education
JAGGAER is best if you’re in a large, complex institution that needs advanced functionality and strict compliance support.
Strengths
- Proven track record in education and research
- Excellent for managing large vendor networks
- Strong compliance and audit-ready reporting
4. E&I Cooperative Services
E&I isn’t just software, it’s a member-owned cooperative designed specifically for education.
So it’s worth considering if your school or university is looking for better pricing and pre-negotiated contracts.
This is good news for everyone interested in saving time.
Instead of going through the long RFP process every time you need a supplier, you get access to contracts that have already been vetted and negotiated with education in mind.
What this really means for you is time and money saved. Procurement teams can focus less on paperwork and more on strategy, while faculty and administrators benefit from faster turnaround when they need supplies or services. Plus, because it’s built around collaboration, you’re tapping into the strength of thousands of institutions across the country.
Key Features for Education
- Access to pre-negotiated supplier contracts tailored for schools and universities
- Competitive pricing powered by group purchasing
- Compliance-friendly contracts that meet education standards
- Support for procurement teams to streamline RFPs and supplier onboarding
- Collaboration with other institutions through a cooperative network
Fit for Education
E&I is a strong choice if you want the efficiency of a cooperative combined with procurement support.
Strengths
- Cost savings through collective buying power
- Saves time on supplier vetting and contract negotiation
- Built from the ground up for educational institutions
5. Fraxion
Fraxion is good at making procurement easy, visible, and controlled without piling on unnecessary complexity.
This system is a strong option for anyone who needs to keep the focus on spending.
It’s centred on budget oversight and approvals, making sure every request is checked against available funds before it moves forward. That way, you don’t end up with surprise expenses at the end of the semester.
For you, this means a system that keeps things transparent from the moment someone requests supplies all the way to payment. Faculty and administrators can submit requests online, approvals flow automatically, and finance teams get real-time visibility into spending. It’s especially useful if you need to manage tight budgets or multiple funding sources, like grants or donations, and want to avoid overspending.
Key Features for Education
- Pre-approved spend controls that prevent budget overshoot
- Automated approval workflows for faster turnaround
- Purchase requisitions, POs, and invoice matching in one platform
- Real-time visibility into spending and budget commitments
- Cloud-based access for staff across campuses
Fit for Education
Fraxion works best if you want a lightweight, user-friendly system that keeps budgets tight and approvals fast.
Strengths
- Strong budget control and oversight
- Simple and intuitive for non-procurement staff
- Cloud-based and scalable for growing institutions
Conclusion
At the end of the day, the “best” eProcurement software for education depends on what you need most. If you’re looking for structure and scalability, ControlHub is a strong all-rounder and all in one platform. If flexibility is your priority, Tradogram gives you the freedom to customize. For large universities juggling complex purchasing, JAGGAER offers proven depth. Want collective buying power? E&I helps you tap into contracts built for schools. And if budget control is your top concern, Fraxion keeps spending visible and in check.
The key is to match the tool to your reality , your budget, your approval process, and how much complexity your team can handle. Start by asking: Do we need advanced compliance? Or do we just need a simple way to track and control spend? Once you’re clear on that, the right solution usually stands out.