Any external purchase by this University must be made in accordance with the following procedures unless otherwise stated herein:
No competitive bidding is required unless the purchase would be considered to artificially divide the purchase to circumvent a bid requirement. Administration does look for faculty and staff to exercise due diligence and comparison price purchases for lowest cost. All small non-competitive purchases shall be approved by the Purchasing Department for funding prior to ordering. Otherwise, the purchase is considered unauthorized. Transportation (shipping & handling) charges are considered part of the purchase price and shall not exceed the $30,000 limit.
B. PURCHASES OVER $30,000 AND UP TO $60,000
The Purchasing Department will solicit (3) fax price quotations. Whenever possible, at least one (1) of the bidders shall be a certified small and emerging business.
C. PURCHASES FOR SCIENTIFIC AND LAB RESEARCH OVER $30,000 AND UP TO $60,000
No competitive bidding is required for scientific and laboratory supplies and equipment when procured for scientific research and the total cost does not exceed sixty thousand dollars ($60,000) per transaction. All qualifying scientific and laboratory purchases for research are to be identified “FOR RESEARCH” on the purchase requisition and shall be approved by the Purchasing Department for funding prior to ordering. Otherwise, the purchase is considered unauthorized. Price confirmation to be attached to the purchase requisition identifying the pricing source. For “SUPPLY” purchases, confirming price documentation can be a current fax, email or written quotation from the supplier, current catalog page, or supplier web site. For “EQUIPMENT” purchases, confirming price documentation shall be a current fax, email or written quotation from the supplier.
The Purchasing Department will be required to publicly advertise the purchase. The Purchasing Department will solicit formal Invitations for Bids via LaPAC in a sealed bid format for a minimum of (21) days unless a (10) day period is determined necessary by the Purchasing Department. (LA Administrative Code 34:I501.A1 & 34:I503.)
E. PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT PARTS AND REPAIRS
The purchase may be obtained through an “Authorized Dealer” as defined as a dealer certified by the manufacturer to furnish parts (not stocking of parts) or to perform repairs on the manufacturer’s equipment. Written certification may be required to support any claim of an authorized dealer status. Otherwise competitive bidding will be required in accordance with requirements stated earlier.
F. EXCEPTIONS TO COMPETITIVE REQUIREMENTS
The following purchases are exempted from bidding requirements: Publications and/or copyrighted materials purchased directly from the publisher or copyright holder, memberships, training video tapes and training audio cassettes.