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Procurement

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Types of Purchases

  • Commodities: Tangible goods including office supplies, furniture, equipment, computers, software, etc.
  • Services: Non-tangible labor including repairs, maintenance, consulting, rentals and leases, any type of installation, speakers/lecturers, etc.
  • Public Works: Construction, alteration, repair or improvement of any public structure, building, road or other public improvement of any kind.

Commodity Purchase Guidelines

Commodity Purchases under $2,500

Department may purchase goods under $2,500 by using a:

  • ProCard. Intended to offer convenience for the user and speed up the purchasing process.
    • eBuy. An "Amazon-Like" marketplace will allow authorized users to purchase discounted goods directly on their ProCards.
  • Direct Buy Form and Staff reimbursement. Allows payment to a vendor or staff without a purchase order. The Direct Buy form is located on the Fiscal Services Forms page.
  • Purchase Requisition. Electronic entry through PeopleSoft. Requisition is processed into a Purchase Order by Contracts & Procurement staff members.
  • Petty Cash. For Goods purchased under $50.

Important Accessibility Reviews

Contracts & Procurement must review furniture purchases for accessibility compliance before purchase, regardless of price.

ITS must review software and technology purchases for accessibility compliance before purchase.

Commodity Purchases between $2,501- $50,000

For simple requirements like off-the-shelf items or those sold through distributors, departments are allowed to get 3 quotes themselves with award made by Contracts & Procurement.

  • Methods for obtaining quotes
    • By phone; document on a Quote Sheet,
    • Via the Internet; document on an Quote Sheet,
    • By Fax; use a Quote Sheet, or
    • By U.S. Mail; Receive a written quote from the vendors
  • Submit a purchase requisition to Contracts & Procurement with all quotes attached. Contracts & Procurement will award to the lowest priced bidder.
  • Submit a purchase requisition for Commodity requirement. Contracts & Procurement will obtain quotes and award to the lowest priced bidder.

If requirement is only available through one vendor, submit Sole Source Justification (SSJ) with the requisition. The sole source justification form and quote sheet are located under forms and information. (link to bottom of this page)

Note: Efforts must be made to meet the State prescribed goals for certified Small Business and Disabled Veterans Business participation.

Commodity Purchases over $50,000:

Bidding Requirement- All commodity requirements in the amount of $50,000 or more (including tax and shipping) must be formally bid by Contracts & Procurement and will awarded to the winning bidder using one of the two main purchasing methods:

  • IFB (Invitation for Bid) solicits bids from prospective vendors. Award based on the lowest price/cost.
  • RFP (Request for Proposal) solicits proposals from prospective vendors based on their submitted solutions to a requirement. The Vendor’s proposal is evaluated based on a set of criteria, i.e. References, Specifications or Scope of Services, Implementation (if applicable), Accessibility Compliance (if applicable) and Cost. The winning proposal is determined based on a scored evaluation of each of these elements with the highest score winning the contract.

Please submit requirements over $50,000 to Contracts & Procurement for formal bidding and allow 4 to 8 weeks for IFB and 6 to 10 weeks for RFP process.

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Service Purchase Guidelines

Regardless of value, service vendors coming ON CAMPUS to perform a service need to be contracted by Contracts & Procurement via a Purchase Order or contract.

All vendors must provide Cal Poly Contracts & Procurement proof of insurance before the vendor comes on campus to provide the service per Executive Order 849.

Please do not sign agreements, make informal commitments or allow services to proceed without a signed contract or Purchase Order from Contracts & Procurement.

Service Purchases between $0 - $50,000:

For simple service requirements, departments are allowed to get 3 quotes themselves with award made by Contracts & Procurement:

  • Methods for obtaining quotes:
    • By phone; document on a Quote Sheet,
    • Via the Internet; document on an Quote Sheet,
    • By Fax; use a Quote Sheet, or
    • By U.S. Mail; Receive a written quote from the vendors
  • Submit a purchase requisition to Contracts & Procurement with all quotes attached. Contracts & Procurement will award to the lowest priced bidder.

Or

  • Submit requisition for service requirement. Contracts & Procurement will obtain quotes from vendors and award. Contracts & Procurement will award to the lowest priced bidder meeting the specifications.

If service requirement is only available through one vendor, submit Sole Source Justification (SSJ) with the requisition. The sole source justification form and quote sheet are located under forms and information.

Service Purchases over $50,000:

  • Bidding Requirements - All service requirements $50,000 or more must be formally bid by Contracts & Procurement and will awarded to the winning bidder using one of the two main purchasing methods:
    • IFB (Invitation for Bid) solicits bids from prospective vendors. Award based on the lowest price/cost.
    • RFP (Request for Proposal) solicits proposals from prospective vendors based on their submitted solutions to a requirement. The vendor’s proposal is evaluated based on a set of criteria, i.e. References, Specifications or Scope of Services, Implementation (if applicable), and Cost. The winning proposal is determined based on a scored evaluation of each of these elements with the highest score winning the contract.

Please submit requirements over $50,000 to Contracts & Procurement for formal bidding and allow 4 to 8 weeks for IFB and 6 to 10 weeks for RFP process.

Note: Services generally can not be processed on the ProCard, Staff Reimbursements, and Direct Buy Form.

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Guest Speaker/Lecturer

Use the Guest Lecturer Form if requirement is for speakers, guest lecturers, entertainers, and other similar activities that are under $2,500. These types of activities may not warrant a purchase order or insurance. Contact Contracts & Procurement for assistance x2232.

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Sole Source Justification (SSJ)

A sole source/sole brand is when only on source exists for the required product or service.

A sole source or sole brand purchase is allowed only when a department submits a SSJ with the requisition and it’s approved by Contracts & Procurement.

Examples of Sole Sources:

  • Products or services containing limited rights, patent rights, copyrights, secret process or markedly unique and necessary features which differentiate from all others.
  • Equipment maintenance by only one authorized or qualified source as required by the equipment manufacturer.

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Sole Brand Justification

A Sole Brand is when only one brand can meet the requirement/specifications. But the brand may be purchased from more than one source. Sole Brands are bid using typical university processes and procedures.

A sole brand purchase is allowed only when a department submits a SSJ with the requisition and it’s approved by Contracts & Procurement.

Example of a Sole Brand

Equipment which must attach to, interface with, or match existing equipment for the preservation or extension of existing equipment use.

Note: The sole source form must be submitted to Contracts & Procurement for review and approval before the purchase can proceed. The sole source justification form is located under forms and information.

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Confirming Orders

Avoid Confirming Orders over the Low Value Purchase limit ($3,500) to minimize the risk to yourself and to the University.

Emergency Orders

Under extraordinary circumstances, authority to make an emergency purchase may be obtained by getting authorization from Contracts & Procurement. Purchase Requisition numbers or bid numbers are never to be given to vendors as purchase order numbers.

The department needs to first enter and approve a purchase requisition in the system. Once entered, call the appropriate Buyer (see list on About Us) and explain the need for an emergency purchase. If approved, the department will be given an emergency purchase order number.

Rush Orders

If a department has a requisition that needs to be placed in a short time, it is recommended the department indicate "Please rush order, need by (date)" in the Header Comments panel. It is also advisable to notify Contracts & Procurement at x62232 so immediate action can be taken.

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Contracts and Agreements

Departments should not sign contracts or agreements with vendors/suppliers.

  • University employees, faculty, staff, student assistants and/or students who sign agreements might be held personally responsible for costs and liable for injuries or damage.
  • Please submit all contracts or agreements that vendors send you to Contracts & Procurement for review. This includes vendor quotes or proposal forms, maintenance agreements, licenses, permits, etc.

University Contracts

There are a variety of agreements available for the department's use. Information pertaining to contracts for campus use is located on University Contracts.

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Forms and Information

Forum PowerPoints

2012