A.  PURCHASES UNDER $1,000
Competitive pricing is encouraged, however there are no bidding requirements.  Use of State or University contracts is preferred.

B.  PURCHASES FROM $1,000 TO $2,999.99
Required quotations should be solicited by a Buyer in the Purchasing Department.  A suggested source and approximate price can be provided to Purchasing.  Use of State or University contracts is preferred.       

C.  PURCHASES FROM $3,000 TO $49,999.99
Quotations must be solicited by a Buyer in the Purchasing Department.  If the purchase meets one of the exception criteria listed in Section E below, it may not require bidding.  To start the Request for Quotation process send a requisition and specifications to Purchasing (contact the buyer in advance if help writing the specifications is needed).

When quotations are necessary, at least three sources must be contacted whenever possible.  Those submitting requisitions are welcome to indicate suggested sources on the Requisition (giving names of sales representatives and phone numbers for companies).   If the buyer knows of additional sources, they may be added.

1. WRITING SPECIFICATIONS
   The goal of the request for quotation process is to obtain the best possible quality as well as price.  The quality of the purchased item or service is a direct result of how well the specifications have been written.  Buyers are trained in this area and can be of assistance.  Please remember that the specifications must include everything that is desired and necessary in order to evaluate the quotations (including things such as delivery time).

2. AWARDING THE ORDER
   WSU is governed by the State Procurement Code which requires that the University select the "lowest responsive and responsible offer".  Requesting departments are not required to accept the lowest priced bid if it does not meet all the specifications listed in the bid.  If this is the case, the requesting department must document what specifications were not met and then accept the next lowest offer that meets all specifications.

D.  PURCHASES OF $50,000 AND HIGHER
Bids must be solicited by a Buyer in the Purchasing Department using the "advertised" bidding process. If the purchase meets one of the exception criteria listed in Section E below, it may not require bidding.  To start the bidding process send a Requisition and specifications to Purchasing (contact the Buyer in advance if help writing the specifications is needed).   The guidelines in the prior section about "Writing Specifications" and "Awarding the Order" also apply here.

When the specifications are satisfactorily written, the bid must be sent out to potential suppliers and an advertisement must appear in the newspaper at least 10 calendar days prior to the bids being due.  The entire process (after the specifications are written) takes at least 2 weeks and often longer depending upon the amount of time companies need to prepare their responses.  Please contact the Purchasing Department as soon as possible when such purchases will be necessary.

E.  SITUATIONS WHEN THE BIDDING PROCESS MAY NOT BE REQUIRED

1. STATE OF UTAH OR WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY CONTRACTS
   If a State or University contract is in place for the item or service being purchased, there is no need to solicit bids or quotations.  However, if there are multiple state contracts for a given item or service, quotes from a state contractor may be solicited.  The use of University contracts is strongly encouraged when available.  Departments have the option to use State contracts.  However, if a department chooses not to use a State or University contract, the appropriate bid process described above must be used.  The State of Utah Division of Purchasing manages several hundred State contracts.

2. SOLE SOURCE
   When there is only one practicable source from which to purchase an item or service, bidding may not be required.  Sole Source Procurement is not justified when there is more than one potential bidder or offerer for a similar item or service.  A "Sole Source Request" form including a written justification must be submitted and approved by the Director of Purchasing (or designee) before a purchase order can be issued.  If the purchase amount is $30,000 or more written approval must be obtained from the V.P. for Administrative Services (or designee) prior to issuing the purchase order (the Buyer in the Purchasing Department obtains this approval).  If the buyer is aware of additional sources, the bidding process must be followed.  (Sole Source Form)

3. ORDERS BASED ON RECENT BIDS
   If the item/service was bid previously and one of the two following situations occurred, reference the prior PO number on a Requisition and new bids will not need to be solicited:
   a.  The prior bid included a renewal clause.
   b.  The prior bid was solicited within one year and the market conditions have not changed dramatically in that period of time.

F.    UNAUTHORIZED AND/OR CONFIRMING PURCHASES

Unauthorized Purchases according to Policies and Procedures published by Weber State University, section 5-25a.....

"The Purchasing Department is responsible for the procurement of all supplies and services required by Weber State University and all its departments and auxiliaries except for (a) purchases specifically exempted under paragraph B, below and (b) procurement relating to building construction and architect-engineer services obtained by the Utah Department of Facilities Construction and Management."

"Unless specifically approved in writing by the director of Purchasing or his/her authorized representative, purchasing orders or commitments for procurement by university employees are not binding on the University.  Individuals who do not comply with University policy when placing procurement orders may become personally liable to the vendor for the contract price."

and section 5-25d...

"With the exception of authorized holders of university purchasing cards, all University purchases must be made by authorized Purchasing Department personnel. Orders placed by employees or students directly with vendors will not be recognized as University obligations and responsibility for payment will be that of the individual who placed the order".

Be advised that in accordance with the above University policy, commitments are not binding on the University unless they have been formally approved by the Purchasing Department.  Vendors may be required to seek personal payment directly from individuals placing an unauthorized order.

G.  REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

The Request for Proposal (RFP) process is used to purchase complex products and/or services when price is not the only factor to be considered, and may even be one of the least important factors, in the evaluation criteria.  This process is used to help identify market information that is relevant to the purchase decision.  The RFP process involves writing an RFP document which clearly outlines everything a potential supplier would need to know to respond with a viable proposal.  When this process seems to be the most desirable or needed, call Purchasing.  After determining that an RFP is appropriate, the Buyer will provide the requesting department with a generic document that can be used as a starting point for writing the RFP.  This document contains general information (including terms & conditions) that is typically the same for every proposal and has been reviewed and approved by the University's legal counsel.   A small group including individuals from the requesting department will be selected to assist in writing the RFP and evaluating proposals received.  Evaluation of proposals is more complex than evaluation of bids since many factors other than price must be considered.  The RFP should list, in relative order of importance, the specific criteria that will be used to evaluate the proposal.   These criteria cannot be altered in any way once the proposals are received.

A generic RFP format can be reviewed at: http://weber.edu/purchasing/Purchasing/WPProposal_Outline.html
Claim of Business Confidentiality

REFERENCES

Utah Procurement Code, 1953 Utah Code Annotated, SS63-56-1. seq
PPM 5-25c, Small Purchases and Emergency Procurement
PPM 5-25e, Solicitation of Bids, Proposals and the Award of Procurement Contracts