Sole Source Purchasing

I. PURPOSE

To outline responsibilities and procedures regarding the waiving of the competitive bidding procedures under circumstances when there is only one known source of supply capable of providing the goods or services required by the University.

II. RESPONSIBILITIES AND PROCEDURES

A. A sole source purchase is one where an item can only be purchased from a single source. This situation makes it impossible to obtain competitive bids.

B. The requisitioning department shall furnish documentation to justify why the technical characteristics inherent in the item make it essential to purchase that item in preference to another brand of lower cost but similar capabilities.

C. Written documentation of some form of price or cost analysis is required on all sole source purchases with an aggregate expenditure in excess of $5,000.  Appropriate documentation may include copies of published price lists, advertised pricing in established magazines, journals, and newspapers, and similar indices.

D. Final responsibility in determining whether an item is a proprietary item and may be purchased from a sole source rests with the Director of Purchasing Services.

III. EXCEPTIONS

NONE

IV. RELATED ITEMS

Large Purchases - Requisitions (University Purchasing Policy, 2.C)
Competitive Bidding Guidelines (University Purchasing Policy, 3.A)
Exceptions to Bid Guidelines (University Purchasing Policy, 3.B)

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