Certifications and Organizations

Certified Local Government Purchasing Officer (CLGPO) Certification

The North Carolina Association of Governmental Purchasing (NCAGP) offers a professional certification known as the Certified Local Government Purchasing Officer (CLGPO) certification. NCAGP members are employees of state or local governments in North Carolina whose duties consist of purchasing materials, supplies, apparatus, equipment, or contractual services.

NCAGP and the School of Government partner on programs offered throughout the year on topics of interest to state and local government employees involved in purchasing and contracting. For information about becoming a member of NCAGP, learn more here.

Eligibility and Requirements

See this publication for all CLGPO requirements, which were updated July 1, 2026: CLGPO Program Policy.

Generally speaking, to be eligible for certification, an applicant must:

have at least 5 years of experience in procurement in a North Carolina local government;
be a member of NCAGP;
complete four core courses offered by the School of Government;
attend 3 NCAGP Annual Conferences and 3 Regional Trainings;
complete the required numbers of modules in the Level 100 Procurement Modules and Level 200 Procurement Modules; and
pass a certification examination administered by the School of Government.

Once certified, purchasers are eligible for recertification every seven years in compliance with the CLGPO Program Policy.

If you have questions about the new certification requirements, please refer to this Question & Answer Document, which will be updated as new questions emerge.

For other questions about certification, please email NCAGP Certification Committee Chair Chris Payne at chris.payne@greensboro-nc.gov.

Applying for Certification

Applications are not being accepted at this time. We are currently finalizing a new application process, including updated application forms and submission procedures. Applicants should expect to submit applications online through Canvas.

The new application process will be publicized by the School of Government at the end of July, and applications will open on October 1. We will update this webpage as soon as possible with information about the new submission process.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact Susan Hutchinson at cecoordinator@sog.unc.edu. Thank you for your patience as we work to improve the application experience.

Certification Appeals

The CLGPO Certification Committees has established an appeals policy to allow members to puruse certification under the prior CLGPO certification standards. The policy is available here: CLGPO Certification Appeal Policy.

The prior CLGPO Guidelines are linked in the CLGPO Certification Appeal Policy and are also available here: CLGPO Guidelines. Note that appplications for appeal must be submitted by September 1, 2026.

Next CLGPO Exam

The exam will be held online in February 2027. 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, in February 2027.

Certified Economic Inclusion Officer (CEIO) 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 Fall 2026. 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.