Contra Costa County has been awarded the prestigious 20th Annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award (AEP) from from the National Procurement Institute (NPI). The AEP Award is earned by public and non-profit organizations that obtain a high score based on standardized criteria. The judging criteria include technology innovation, professionalism, e-procurement, productivity, and leadership. This program encourages the development of excellence as well as continued organizational improvement to earn the award annually.