Purchasing Overview
Quick Navigation: Small Purchases | Major Purchases | Special Situations | Other Information
The goal of the Purchasing Department is to satisfy your requirement for goods and services in a timely manner at the lowest practicable cost. Our purchasing processes and practices conform to the Restructuring Management Agreement and the Commonwealth of Virginia Purchasing Manual for Institutions of Higher Education and their Vendors. These regulations apply to all university departments, activities and funds, regardless of the original source of the funds being used.
The practice of public purchasing carries with it several fundamental obligations:
- to obtain high quality goods and services at reasonable cost,
- to conduct purchasing activities in a fair and impartial manner,
- to provide all qualified vendors access to public business, and
- to ensure that no bidder is arbitrarily or capriciously excluded.
I. Small Purchases
Procedures apply to all goods and services valued up to $50,000
| Values | General Procedure |
|---|---|
| $2,000 or Less | Competition not required. Department confirms price and prepares a HokieMart Requisition. The HokieMart system will convert this Requisition to a Purchase Order and deliver it to the supplier. |
| $2,001 to $50,000 | Department prepares a HokieMart Requisition. HokieMart workflow will carry the Requisition to Purchasing. Competition will be obtained by Purchasing. Minimum 3 quotes solicited by phone, fax, or unsealed bid. |
| *Previously Owned Used Equipment Valued up to $50,000 | Competition not required. Department
prepares a HokieMart Requisition up
to $2,000. Above $2,000, Purchasing
issues purchase order see special guidance on Purchasing Used Equipment. * This classification does not include factory rebuilt, demonstration, or remanufactured equipment. |
II. Major Purchases Requiring Advertising and Sealed Bidding
Procedure applies to all goods and services valued over $50,000.
| General Procedure | Department prepares a HokieMart Requisition. System work flow will carry this through any required intermediate approval steps to purchasing. Purchasing Department solicits a minimum of 6 sources in writing using either competitive sealed bidding or competitive negotiation. Advertising is required. |
III. Special Situations
| Situation: | Procedure for All Goods and Services |
|---|---|
| Emergency | An emergency is an occurrence of a serious and urgent nature that demands immediate action. Full justification for the purchase is required. Justification approved at dean/director/department head level. Justification should relate to health, safety, or protection of property. If time permits, contact Purchasing before making purchase. Competition is not required but should be obtained, time permitting. As soon as feasible, submit a HokieMart Requisition and emergency justification to Purchasing, who will issue a confirming purchase order. |
| Sole Source | A situation when a product or service is practicably available only from one source. Competitive procurement cannot be conducted. Written justification required using the standard form provided by Purchasing who must approve in advance of order placement. Attach the form to the HokieMart Requisition. Purchasing will negotiate terms and price and issue a purchase order. |
| Printing | Refer all requests for printing, regardless
of dollar amount, to University Printing
Services via a HokieMart Interdepartmental Printing Request Form. Contact Printing Services
(231-6701) if additional information
is needed. *The National Capital Region (NCR) which has a $2,000 delegation limit for Printing. |
| Photocopying | On-campus services are preferred. Purchase
may be made off-campus up to $50 in value
(Blacksburg) and $300 in value at all
other locations. * The National Capital Region (NCR) has a $2,000 delegation limit. |
| Conferences | Contact Outreach Program Development (231-5373) for assistance. Outreach may contract for meals and support valued up to $50,000. If meals and support are expected to exceed $50,000, an advertised competitive procurement must be conducted by Purchasing. |
IV. Other
Authority
The Board of Visitors has designated the Executive Vice President as the university's Chief Contracting Officer. University Policy 3015 makes specific delegations to individuals authorized to approve contracts on behalf of Virginia Tech. All documents provided by contractors must be reviewed by Legal Counsel prior to enactment.
Delegations
The following transactions can be processed at the department level:
- Purchase Orders valued up to $2,000
- Maintenance agreements valued up to $2,000
- P-Card transactions valued up
to $2,000
- The P-Card is available to use for transactions with a value up to $2,000. This credit card offers ease and flexibility of use and can reduce paperwork and processing administrative costs. Debra Bales, the program coordinator, can be reached at 231-8548, dbales@vt.edu, for assistance and information.
- Items purchased under Direct
Payment Procedures
- These are transactions which are not processed by the Purchasing Department
- Information Technology Acquisitions has been delegated authority to purchase computer hardware and software, related maintenance, programming and service. All requirements valued over $2,000 for computer related products or service are routed by the HokieMart directly to the Computing Center at 1700 Pratt Drive, telephone 231-6382.
Purchasing Assistance
You are encouraged to contact members of the Purchasing staff at any time for advice or assistance. Every buyer is professionally certified and is available to assist you in satisfying your requirements. It is often advantageous to communicate in advance of initiating a major procurement to discuss procedures, time frames and alternative courses of action which may be available. Advance planning and effective communications help us reach the mutual goal of a fully successful outcome.
Purchasing department staff, responsibilities, commodity assignments, phone numbers and E-mail addresses.
Summary of Purchasing Procedures
As a result of decentralization, Purchasing procedures have been greatly simplified and streamlined. Our goal is to complete the processing of requisitions valued under $15,000 within ten working days after receipt. More complex and higher value procurements will take longer, in a range of up to 30 days for bids and 60 days for Requests for Proposals. Buyers consider the following to process your requisition.
Small, Minority and Woman-Owned (SWAM) Business Vendors
The policy of the university is to actively support the participation of small, minority-owned and woman-owned businesses in our purchasing actions and to maximize our business expenditures with SWAMs. Departments should give consideration to utilizing these vendors whenever feasible. Assistance in locating vendor sources can be obtained by contacting the University Supplier Diversity Manager, Mark Cartwright, mcartiwri or 231-3333.
A wide variety of multiple-year contracts have been established to efficiently supply goods and services to the campus. For example, travel management, temporary personnel services, and office supplies contracts are available. Freight services can also be arranged at favorable prices. Contact the Purchasing Department if additional information is desired regarding either university or state contracts. A listing of commonly used contracts is avaiable at http://www.purch.vt.edu/Department/freq_used_cont.html
Problem Resolution and Fast Pay
If the goods or services are incorrect or do not work properly, resolution should be initiated by the department or the buyer, depending upon who placed the order. Only the buyer can make contract or purchase order changes although the department can request the change using a Request for Purchase Order Change form.
Departments should not make any form of commitment to vendors beyond that specified in the purchase order. Only process invoices for payment after corrective action has been completed. If the goods and services are correct, but the invoice is incorrect, the department should contact the vendor to obtain a corrected invoice. Submit only a correct invoice for payment.
The Purchasing Department conducts in-depth training sessions and update training sessions as needed. Upon request Purchasing will provide special training.
Last Updated: July 17, 2007