You Need Purchasing Involvement, How To Proceed:

Purchasing Services approval is required prior to engaging in purchasing actions. The links provided below will help insure the goods or services needed are obtained legally, in a timely manner, at the quality you desire and the lowest price available. They will serve to explain some of the processes and options available for larger dollar and more complex purchases. Please contact Purchasing Services with any questions (regardless of dollar amount) or to initiate any of these processes.

Dollar Limits, Bid Process, and Exceptions:

• Purchases of goods or services less than $5,000 require a "best judgment" decision by Purchasing Services staff or your department business manager.
  
• Purchases of goods or services between $5,000.00 and $49,999.00 require a simplified bid
  
• If your purchase is $50,000.00 or greater, Purchasing Services will prepare an Official Sealed Bid or Request for Proposal (RFP). An RFP is used for soliciting proposals when an award cannot be made based strictly on specifications or price. Contact the Purchasing Agent in the commodity area you are interested in to initiate the process.
  
• Exceptions to the bidding process include: Waivers and Sole Source, Sole Source Academic Support Services (ASSA), PRO-E-4, or Grant Subcontracting when named in the Grant Proposal.

Contracts:

Purchasing Services has many contracts available for our customers to use. They are available for common items, commodities, or services. Purchasing has already completed the competivie process with the listed vendors, so our customers may purchase from these contract vendors without repeating this process. Each contract will have a specified time period, for which Purchasing has negotiated pricing, discounts, shipping terms, etc., for the listed vendors. Each contract will reference the agent of record whom you can contact for assistance if you have any problems or questions.

For a complete listing of available contracts and search options, please visit: http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/purch/contract/conindx.html.

Visit How To Use An Existing Purchasing Contract for instructions on completing purchases for contracted items. Even though an item is on contract, you are still required to send an external requisition to Purchasing Services so that Purchasing may verify pricing and issue a purchase order.