Liberty Lake, WA, March 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TorchLight, a managed cybersecurity services provider, today announced its approval as an authorized vendor through two major cooperative purchasing programs serving educational institutions and public agencies across California and Washington State.
TorchLight has been approved through the Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC) Enterprise and Procurement Services programs, which include CollegeBuys, SchoolBuys, AICCUBuys, and CivicBuys, providing reach across all 73 California community college districts, K-12 school districts, independent colleges and universities, and municipalities statewide. Separately, TorchLight has been awarded Contract WLS343 through Washington Learning Source (WLS), the cooperative purchasing program administered by Puget Sound Educational Service District for Washington State K-12 schools and public agencies.
Together, these contract awards position TorchLight’s cybersecurity services in front of more than 400 educational and public institutions across both states, providing a streamlined, competitively bid procurement path for schools, colleges, and agencies seeking enterprise-grade security without the burden of running independent solicitations.
Foundation for California Community Colleges: Four Programs, Statewide Reach
The Foundation for California Community Colleges is the official auxiliary organization supporting the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Its Enterprise and Procurement Services (EPS) division has served as a trusted partner in the procurement space since 1999, harnessing collective buying power to secure compliant contracts that offer discounted products and services across the education and public sectors.
TorchLight’s cybersecurity services are now accessible through all four EPS procurement programs:
• CollegeBuys is the systemwide procurement hub for the California Community Colleges, serving all 73 community college districts and extending to both private and public colleges in California and nationwide. CollegeBuys develops California Public Contract Code compliant cooperative contracts that mitigate risk, achieve cost savings, and optimize resources across the largest public higher education system in the nation.
• SchoolBuys is a procurement program focused specifically on the purchasing needs of K-12 institutions across California, providing school districts with access to competitively bid contracts for technology, security, and other operational services.
• AICCUBuys is a joint initiative developed in partnership between FoundationCCC and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU), serving the procurement needs of AICCU member institutions across the state.
• CivicBuys is focused on meeting the procurement needs of municipalities and local and state government agencies throughout California.
Through these programs, California institutions can reference the existing contract to engage TorchLight directly for security monitoring, compliance support, security assessments, and strategic advisory without running a local bid process.
Washington Learning Source: Serving Washington K-12 and Public Agencies
Washington Learning Source is a cooperative purchasing program administered by Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) in Renton, Washington. WLS serves all nine Educational Service Districts in Washington State, providing competitively bid contracts to K-12 schools, school districts, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Washington State public agencies through intergovernmental cooperative purchasing agreements under RCW 39.34.
TorchLight was awarded Contract WLS343 through RFP 1818-62 (Cybersecurity Solutions), one of WLS’s dedicated cybersecurity procurement categories. Under this contract, Washington K-12 districts and eligible public agencies can procure TorchLight’s full security services portfolio at pre-negotiated pricing with standardized terms and conditions. The purchasing relationship is directly between the institution and TorchLight, and institutions do not need to register, join, or pay fees to participate.
Why These Awards Matter for Education
Educational institutions face a unique combination of cybersecurity challenges. They manage large volumes of sensitive data, including student records protected under FERPA and financial aid information subject to the FTC Safeguards Rule and GLBA, while operating with constrained IT budgets and lean technology teams. Ransomware attacks targeting schools and colleges have increased significantly in recent years, making cybersecurity a board-level priority for institutions of all sizes.
Higher education institutions that participate in federal Title IV financial aid programs are classified as financial institutions under GLBA and must maintain information security programs meeting FTC Safeguards Rule requirements. These compliance obligations create demand for specialized security services that understand both the regulatory framework and the operational realities of education environments.
Cooperative purchasing programs address one of the most persistent barriers to action: procurement complexity. By providing pre-vetted, competitively bid contracts, these programs allow campuses and districts to move quickly when security needs arise rather than spending months on independent solicitations.
Services Available Through These Programs
Managed Security Services
24/7/365 Security Operations Center (SOC) providing continuous monitoring and threat response across endpoints, networks, cloud environments, and email systems. Services include Managed Detection and Response (MDR), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR), and phishing defense.
GLBA Audit and Compliance Services
Comprehensive auditing and assessment services aligned with the FTC Safeguards Rule under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. TorchLight provides security program assessments, gap analysis, compliance documentation, and audit preparation support for institutions subject to GLBA requirements.
Penetration Testing and Security Assessments
Independent security validation including internal and external penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, ransomware readiness gap analysis, and application security testing. These assessments provide institutions with objective evidence of their security posture for board reporting, insurance applications, and regulatory compliance.
Virtual CISO Advisory
Executive-level cybersecurity strategy and risk management guidance for institutions that need senior security leadership without the cost of a full-time hire. Services include security program development, incident response planning, board and leadership communication, and technology roadmap alignment.
K-12 Specific Capabilities
TorchLight provides services tailored to the K-12 environment through both the California SchoolBuys program and the Washington Learning Source contract. These include managed endpoint protection across Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS devices, network and cloud security for campus and district infrastructure, security awareness training for faculty and staff, and data backup and recovery solutions designed around student records and instructional systems. All K-12 services are aligned with FERPA and COPPA requirements.
Procurement Advantages
Both the FoundationCCC and WLS programs provide significant procurement benefits for participating institutions:
• Competitively bid contracts that satisfy public procurement requirements, eliminating the need for independent solicitations
• Standardized pricing, terms, and conditions across all participating institutions
• No registration fees or membership costs for institutions to access the contracts
• Direct purchasing relationship between the institution and TorchLight
• Ability to add institution-specific terms at the purchase order level
• Compliance with California Public Contract Code (FoundationCCC programs) and Washington RCW 39.34 interlocal purchasing agreements (WLS)
• FoundationCCC support with contract issues, service-level concerns, and connecting leads
Leadership Commentary
“Educational institutions manage some of the most sensitive data in any sector, from student records to financial aid information, and they deserve access to the same caliber of cybersecurity that protects regulated financial institutions,” said Nolan Garrett, CEO of TorchLight. “These contract awards across the Foundation for California Community Colleges and Washington Learning Source remove procurement barriers so that colleges, school districts, and public agencies can move from identifying a security gap to closing it in weeks, not months. That speed matters when threats are evolving daily.”
About TorchLight
TorchLight is a managed cybersecurity services provider headquartered in Liberty Lake, Washington. The company delivers 24/7/365 security operations, compliance and assurance services, penetration testing, and virtual CISO advisory to organizations in regulated and mission-critical industries, including financial services, healthcare, education, and professional services. With nearly two decades of experience protecting sensitive data and supporting regulatory compliance, TorchLight provides enterprise-grade security without enterprise complexity. Learn more at torchlight.io.
About the Foundation for California Community Colleges
The Foundation for California Community Colleges is the official auxiliary organization supporting the Chancellor’s Office and the California Community Colleges. Its Enterprise and Procurement Services division has been a trusted partner in the procurement space since 1999, harnessing the collective buying power of schools, cities, and counties to secure contracts that offer discounts on a variety of products and services. EPS operates four programs: CollegeBuys (community colleges), SchoolBuys (K-12), AICCUBuys (independent colleges and universities), and CivicBuys (municipalities and government agencies). Learn more at purchasing.collegebuys.org.
About Washington Learning Source
Washington Learning Source is a cooperative purchasing program administered by Puget Sound Educational Service District. WLS provides competitively bid contracts to K-12 schools, school districts, and Washington State public agencies, enabling subscribers to access vetted solutions at volume pricing with standardized terms. Learn more at walearningsource.org.
Press Inquiries
TorchLight Marketing
marketing [at] torchlight.io
https://torchlight.io
