Introducing Proco: Smarter Procurement for Schools and Beyond

From a shared vision to a scalable solution

Peter Morgan, founder of Schoolscape, had long been searching for a way to help schools make smarter, more efficient purchasing decisions, but a workable solution remained out of reach.

That changed when he met René Hartmann, a seasoned procurement specialist who had been leading teams at Europe’s largest listed business. Wanting to return to South Africa and give back, René saw how professional procurement could help schools stretch their budgets and improve learning outcomes.

Their shared vision led to the launch of SchoolAdvisor, a platform designed to help schools buy smarter. In 2022, the platform was formalised and has since rebranded as Proco, reflecting its growth beyond schools while staying committed to the education sector.

Today, Proco supports not only schools but also a wider range of organisations without in-house procurement teams, while keeping its original mission front and centre: helping schools spend better, so more can be invested in learning.

Bringing professional procurement to South African schools and beyond

Most schools in South Africa don’t have procurement specialists on staff, leaving them vulnerable to inefficiencies and overspending. Every Rand lost to poor purchasing is a Rand taken away from improving educational outcomes.

Proco addresses this problem with a tech-enabled tender platform that empowers schools to purchase goods and services with the same professionalism as large organisations. Whether it’s security, catering, cleaning, landscaping, or copiers, Proco makes tendering easier, faster, and smarter, giving schools confidence in every decision they make.

By professionalising procurement for schools, Proco is helping education institutions redirect more resources where they matter most: into classrooms, into opportunities, and the futures of their learners. As Proco grows, it is expanding its impact across multiple sectors, always staying true to its vision of helping organisations unlock better outcomes through more innovative procurement.

Watch the video to learn more about Proco’s work.

🌐 Click through to view Proco’s website: https://askproco.com/ 

🔗 Connect with the team on LinkedIn: Peter Morgan | René Hartmann

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Proco is a 2025 Fellow in the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship.‍