The Procurement Services department reports to the Business and Finance unit, a member of the Finance and Administration division. Procurement Services purchases the supplies, equipment and services which support the University’s mission on a timely and best value basis. Our goal is to cooperatively develop and execute sourcing strategies with departments that will provide the highest professional standards, services, and practices while providing purchasing tools and programs to make each department more efficient by utilizing all University resources effectively.

Policies

The Procurement Services department reports to the Business and Finance unit, a member of the Finance and Administration division. Procurement Services purchases the supplies, equipment and services which support the University’s mission on a timely and best value basis. Our goal is to cooperatively develop and execute sourcing strategies with departments that will provide the highest professional standards, services, and practices while providing purchasing tools and programs to make each department more efficient by utilizing all University resources effectively.

A central purchasing office shall be maintained to serve the needs of the entire university. This office shall be responsible for the purchase of all materials, supplies, and services costing more than $5,000, as well as both purchased and rental equipment, with the following exceptions:

1. Books, pamphlets, and periodicals for the library
2. Bookstore merchandise for resale
3. Professional legal services
4. Confidential consulting services, but only with prior approval of the Chief Financial Officer
5. Architectural services, new constructions, contractual repairs, and remodeling
6. Pro shop merchandise for resale
7. Software licenses and related maintenance agreements for Information Technology

These exemptions do not preclude impacted departments from following the purchasing policy and the required bid thresholds. Competitive sourcing requirements shall apply to these areas.

Except for the exemptions listed above, the selection of a supplier is the responsibility of the purchasing office in conjunction with the applicable department. In the selection, the purchasing office and departments shall not discriminate against any supplier on any basis protected by applicable law.. No commitment of funds shall be made by the purchasing office without prior approval of the department to which the commitment is to be charged.

The purchasing office and University departments shall accept no gift or gratuity from a potential supplier nor shall they, in the name of the University, make or attempt to make personal purchases for faculty or staff.

There are multiple ways departments can purchase goods or services, including Purchasing Card, Supplier Invoice Requests or through the Requisition for Purchase Order process.

Purchases of $4,999 or less do not require multiple quotes but are encouraged if departments believe the benefit would be worthwhile.  The University encourages the use of a University Procurement Card for the purchase of small dollar transactions below the $4,999 threshold. Splitting invoices to avoid solicitation of competitive quotes is prohibited.

Purchases from $5,000 to $9,999, the solicitation of competitive quotes is required. These informal quotations must be written, either formal quote or email, except when time or other circumstances do not permit, in which case verbal quotations are acceptable if properly documented. Procurement Services may waive the requirement for competitive quotations if supporting documentation is deemed justified. A valid sole source justification may be permissible in lieu of obtaining quotes when applicable. Contact Procurement Services for support or guidance.

Purchases from $10,000 to $49,999 the initiating department must obtain competitive quotes from multiple suppliers to determine the best value for GVSU. These quotes must be written, either formal quote or email, and documented. A valid sole source justification may be permissible in lieu of obtaining quotes when applicable.

All purchases exceeding $50,000 shall be preceded by a formal competitive bid via the Request for Proposal (RFP) process with the assistance of the Procurement Services Department which will post the RFP publicly. No competitive bid will be accepted if received after the date and time specified in the corresponding RFP. Unsuccessful bidders may appeal against the decision of the purchasing office to improve procedures in future purchasing or to correct any misunderstanding that may have arisen. Purchase of items when there is a sole source need not be bid.

All new supplier contracts and renewals to existing supplier contracts must be entered into Workday Strategic Sourcing unless they meet one or more of the following exemptions:

• Employment Contracts
• Sponsored Contracts or Grant Agreements that are approved through the Office of Sponsored Programs
• Any agreement for a gift or donation to GVSU that is processed through University Development
• Speaking agreements or honorariums

The Vice President for Finance & Administration may exempt specific suppliers from the purchase order requirement where a purchase order adds no benefit to the process. Examples include, but are not limited to, utility payments, debt payments and investing schedules. Any exception made shall be documented in writing.

The Vice President for Finance & Administration shall have the ability to exempt specific purchases from the bid process if deemed necessary due to extenuating circumstances or in emergency situations where the bid process would impede addressing a critical purchase essential to the operation of the university. Any exception made shall be documented with a formal approval in writing.

This office shall be responsible for the orderly disposal of surplus, obsolete, worn-out equipment, and university property, including any surplus donation requests. Any donation requests for surplus items to local non-profit and/or charitable organizations must first be approved by the AVP of Business & Finance. This is not associated with any donations related to University Development.

Source: GVSU Policies

Procedures

Full documentation of Procurement Services procedures can be found on Grand Valley State University Business and Finance's website: Purchasing Procedures (PDF).

Contact Us