Missouri State University

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Procurement Services 

Procedures

Procurement Cards

Departmental Procurement Cards issued by the Office of Procurement Services may be utilized for purchases for approved categories in the amount $3,000 or less. Transactions may be made for up to $5,000 monthly.  Expenditures for items that are over the threshold may be approved by the Director of Procurement Services by placing a request through the Procurement Card Coordinator prior to the transaction.

Requisitions

Requisitions issued to the Office of Procurement Services shall be utilized for purchases of $3,000 and above, or for amounts under $3,000 in those instances where the Procurement Card may not be used, or when a payment request is not utilized.

Direct Pay Invoices

Direct pay invoices may be used for after the fact payment processing for purchases from approved categories up to $3,000. A payment request form must be issued,and the invoice must be submitted to Accounts Payable.

Cooperative Contracts

Pre-existing contracts of other public entities or groups may be utilized without further solitication when the procurement procedures for the external source are comparable to those of the University.  All parties must be in agreement that the University is eligible for the pricing and other terms and conditions of the agreements.

Solicitations

Competitive solicitations in the form of Request for Quotation (RFQ) or Request for Proposal (RFP) shall be considered for purchases in the amount of $3,000-$10,000, and are required for all amounts of $10,000 or above, unless a previously solicited internal or cooperative contract has been established.  Internal postings will be made for a minimum of three business days, and are subject to electronic posting or advertising when above $25,000.  A requisition that may include a suggested vendor shall be issued to the Office of Procurement Services, and an award will be made by Procurement Services per the bid.

The requirement for advertising may be waived, if not feasible due to the supplies being available at a discount for only a limited period of time.

Items that are in the amount of $10,000 or more, where applicable, may be handled as Single Feasible Source (SFS) purchases that shall be justified in writing and internally posted for a minimum of one, but up to three business days, and are subject to electronic posting or advertising when above $25,000.

Contracts shall be issued to the lowest bidder meeting specifications.

Single Feasible Source (SFS) Purchases

A single feasible source exists when:

  1. Supplies are proprietary and only available from the manufacturer or a single distributor; or
  2. Based on past procurement experience, it is determined that only one distributor services the region in which the supplies are needed; or
  3. Supplies are available at a discount from a single distributor for a limited period of time.

The following are examples that shall not require a single feasible source justification:

  1. Services of visiting speakers, professors, and performing artists;
  2. Works of art and historical items for museum and public display;
  3. Published books, maps, periodicals, and technical pamphlets for libraries; on-line cataloging and bibliographic services through consortiums;
  4. Regulated utility services;
  5. Trial use or testing specific items for suitability;
  6. Print, electronic, broadcast and/or other media advertising.
  7. Support services for existing systems that have been competitively procured, such as software or copier agreements, or suppliers such as Blackboard (course management system, zip card system), Simplex-Grinnell (security access system), SunGard Banner (ERP), or Time Management (work management system), Johnson Controls, Incorporated (energy efficiency improvement systems).
  8. Fees for Intercollegiate Athletics, i.e. conference membership dues, game guarantees, et cetera.
  9. Student trips/tours and all related expenses, i.e. travel agency, air and ground transportation, lodging, meals, fees, et cetera.
  10. Sponsored Research.

Purchases of $25,000 and Over

All purchases in the amount of $25,000 and over shall be:

  1. Posted as notice of the proposed purchase in the Office of Procurement Services, and
  2. Solicited as bids by mail or other reasonable method generally available to the public when such methods are deemed more advantageous for the supplies to be purchased, and
  3. Advertised in at least two daily newspapers of general circulation for at least five days before bids are opened, or

    Provided through an electronic medium available to the general public at least five days before the bids for such purchases are to be opened.

Board Reporting

Board reporting shall also be made per the following occurrences:

  1. Contracts for the purchase of goods and services estimated to exceed $100,000 must be reported to the Board of Governors for approval.
  2. Property leases and contracts for the purchase or sale of real estate should be reported to the board for approval, regardless of value.
  3. Contract amendments that cause the estimated value of a contract to be exceed by 10% or $25,000, whichever is greater, should be reported to the board for approval.
  4. Single purchases of more than $25,000 if only one bid is received.
  5. Single purchases of more than $25,000 if a bid other than the low bid is accepted.
  6. Single purchases of more than $25,000 that are not competitively bid.
  7. Any award that is determined to be sensitive or of significant impact to the university, at the discretion of the CFO, a Chancellor, or the President of the university.

Emergency Procurement

Emergency procurement shall be made by waiving the requirement of competitive bids when there exists a threat to life, property, public health, or public safety, when immediate expenditure is necessary for repairs to state property in order to protect against further loss of or damage to state property, to prevent or minimize serious disruption in state services, or to ensure the integrity of state records.

Procurement for emergency situations shall be made with as much competition as is practicable under the circumstances.  Per FEMA guidelines, purchases made under this provision should be completed within 70 business hours of the emergency event.

When emergency procurement procedures are utilized a brief written justification shall be provided.

Vendor References

The Request for and checking of references shall take place whenever the buyer determines it to be appropriate per the following guidelines:

  • Vendor evaluation may include the required submission of references from all sources that are new to the university, or for those vendors that have not been used by the university within the past five years.
  • Emphasis shall be placed on service oriented, technical, longer-term or larger dollar items
  • Performance checks shall not usually be made for vendors whose products are routinely carried in the vendor’s inventory.
  • In obtaining products and services that are valued under $3,000, references generally shall not be checked unless there is a specific skill or service involved, or unless the product or service is of a sensitive nature.
  • Procurement of products and services valued at $3,000 and above may require that a list of references be requested from the vendor.  If the vendor is known by the end-user or the buyer, references may or may not be contacted.
  • When variables in addition to price are evaluation factors, a reference requirement may be part of the evaluation criteria.  A list of relevant questions may also be developed by the buyer in collaboration with the end-user, and a committee if applicable.  Each vendor shall be asked the same set of questions.
  • Upon request by the end-user.

 

02.07 Procurement Services

6.08 Revised