University policy requires that the purchase of goods or services be by competition to the extent possible based upon the total value, which includes considerations such as quality, price, and performance. FMS Procurement Services reviews and approves non-catalog requisitions that are above a specified threshold to validate compliance with the federal micro-purchase threshold and university competitive supplier selection requirements.
The non-catalog purchase threshold that requires validation of competitive supplier selection is dependent on the funding source:
- Federal funding source: The federal micro-purchase threshold requirement is $50,000 or greater.
- Any funding source: The purchase threshold is $250,000 or greater.
Schools and units can establish and/or maintain their own purchase amounts and process for the verification of competition for non-catalog purchases below the purchase limits.
When purchasing a good or service with a cost above the applicable threshold, the non-catalog purchase requisition must include documentation demonstrating compliance with federal and university competition requirements to the extent possible based on total value.
This documentation is reviewed and approved by Procurement Services before school or unit financial approval. There are four documentation options available that demonstrate compliance with federal and university competition requirements, depending on the department’s supplier selection process:
| Supplier selection process | Documentation requirements |
|---|---|
| Department solicited multiple bids and chose the lowest cost bid. | In addition to the quote from the selected supplier or independent contractor, attach to the non-catalog requisition at least one or more competitive quotes, proposals, or bids from other suppliers or independent contractors. The Single/Sole Source Justification (SSJ) form is not required. |
| Department solicited multiple bids and did not choose the lowest cost bid because the supplier offers superior value. | The department completes the SSJ form, answering question prompts that demonstrate the supplier’s superior value and is considered a single source supplier selection. The completed SSJ form is then attached to the non-catalog requisition. |
| Based on the supplier’s superior value, the department did not solicit multiple bids. | The department completes the SSJ form, answering question prompts that also demonstrate a single source supplier selection. The SSJ form is then attached to the non-catalog requisition to provide justification. |
| Department did not solicit multiple bids because there are no alternative suppliers that provide the goods or service (extremely rare). | The department completes the SSJ form, answering question prompts that demonstrate a sole source supplier selection. The SSJ form is then attached to the non-catalog requisition to provide justification. |
Refer to How To: Create a Standard Non-Catalog Requisition for more information on adding required attachments to a non-catalog requisition.
The SSJ form is completed by departments to facilitate the documentation and explanation of their sourcing selection to demonstrate compliance with federal and university competition requirements. Refer to the table below for a descriptions of sourcing methods and corresponding documentation requirements:
| Sourcing selection and description | Documentation requirements |
|---|---|
| Single source is a supplier or independent contractor specifically selected due to superior value, such as compatibility, quality, service, support, continuity, etc. | Use the SSJ form to provide a detailed explanation of the supplier’s superior value. This justification includes indicating specific reason(s) (e.g., technical requirements, expertise/proprietary, sponsor/donor directed). |
| Sole source is a supplier or independent contractor for which there are no alternatives for their given product or service. | Use the SSJ form to provide a detailed explanation of why multiple bids were not obtained, which includes indicating:
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