Office of Research Purchasing Guidelines

Per USU Policy 529 purchases greater than $5,000, a competitive selection process (bid) or a sole source justification is required.

When Signatures are Required

Per Policy 528, all contracts other than those related to Sponsored Research must route through Purchasing and Contract services. In limited circumstances, the Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services may delegate signature authority for contracts approved in form and substance where the agreement is repetitive in nature and the document is highly standardized. The delegation is issued in the form of a letter.

When Considering a Purchase Over $5,000

1. Depending on the involvement of additional approvers such as Legal, Risk, Marketing, and reviewing laws in other states the approval process could take a month or longer in some cases.
2. Please reach out to your Business Manager to determine the most viable option.
   1. Request for Proposal (RFP) - to include scope of work, contractual terms and conditions applicable, and submittal instructions.
   2. Request for Quote (RFQ) – competitive solicitations for quote from two or more vendors. May include a wide range of requirements.
   3. Sole Source - if requirement is only available from a single supplier. Notice of Intent to enter Sole Source Procurement must be published for a minimum of 10 days.
   4. State Contract – State of Utah already has a contract with the supplier.

P-cards

Review USU P-card procedures. Please note that p-cards transactions that aren’t processed through approvals within 45 days from the date of purchase will result in suspension of the card for 30 days.

When Attaching a Receipt

• Substitute Receipt: If you have a receipt or documentation from the vendor but it is missing any of the required information, choose this option and include the missing information in the provided box. An attachment is required.
• Description Field: Include purpose and/or person requesting item, for example rather than saying “napkins,” include the purpose of the purchase, “Napkins for team meeting.”