Purchasing Rules
The University adheres to a series of rules and guidelines issued by the State of Oregon and by the Oregon University System. The basic rules for delegation of purchasing authority are listed below:
For orders of less than $25,000:
Departments may enter into a contract with one vendor without the necessity of contacting other vendors for quotes. A contract is required if the payment is for services, regardless of the cost. The contract must be signed by a designated Contracts Officer. Purchase orders may be issued for the procurement of goods; however, a contract is required if services are to be provided.
For contracts valued from $25,000.01-$100,000.00:
Departments may use an informal procurement process called a Request for Quotes. The Request for Quotes must be posted on the OUS Procurement Gateway website, http://www.ous.edu/about/bo/, for a minimum of three business days. When a contract results from this Request for Quotes it will then be necessary for the department to enter a purchase order. The text field of the purchase order must reference the PSU contract number and that the procurement was posted on the OUS website. Contact Purchasing for any questions regarding a Request for Quotes, including development of the Request for Quotes document and posting on the OUS website.
Bid (ITB) or a Request for Proposal (RFP):
A formal procurement process must be used for contracts that are expected to exceed $100,000.01, with the Purchasing Office issuing either an Invitation to Bid (ITB) or a Request for Proposal (RFP). There are many other requirements specific to certain types of products and services so please contact Purchasing early in the process for assistance in developing the appropriate document(s). All contracts must be executed by an authorized Contract Officer. Contact Purchasing for any questions you may have about the ITB or RFP processes. The formal procurement process generally takes at least eight weeks to complete, and possibly longer depending upon the services to be procured so please contact purchasing early and plan ahead.
Sole Source:
Please contact purchasing and contracting for assistance with sole source purchases. Purchasing will work with you to determine if a purchase is sole source and will further assist in drafting the sole source justification document. Sole source purchases must be posted on the OUS website for seven calendar days.
