Standard Purchases

If there is adequate competition for a good or service, departments are required to obtain bids from multiple vendors. All bids must be competitive and comparable to the vendor you are recommending.

Follow the procedures below to request a standard purchase that does not involve a contract:

1. Ensure you have approval to make the purchase and verify there is budget available.
2. Obtain quotes according to the following thresholds:
   • $10,000 – $49,999: 2 quotes
   • $50,000 – $99,999: 3 quotes
3. Based on the quotes you receive, you as the requestor will select the vendor that offers the best value. You are not required to select the lowest bid, however, you will need to document the benefit of selecting a higher bid.
4. Fill out your submission on the Requisition dashboard.  Once submitted, send your chosen bid and additional quotes to Procurement@plu.edu. If grant funds are being used, the Office of Sponsored Programs needs to be CC’d on the email.
5. The Procurement Office will review the submission. Contingent upon the submission being complete, you will receive approval in 3 business days.
6. After you receive approval, if the purchase is above the $5,000 threshold it will be converted into a Purchase Order. If it requires a signature, you will receive the Purchase Order after all documents have been reviewed and executed.

Purchases made through a preferred vendor or through a cooperative contract do not require alternative bids because the competitive bidding has already been conducted.

1. Ensure you have approval to make the purchase and verify there is budget available.
2. Fill out a submission on the Requisition Dashboard and indicate if you are purchasing through a cooperative or a preferred vendor. If you are purchasing from a cooperative, list the name.
3. The Procurement Office will review the submission. If the submission is complete, you will receive approval in 3 business days.
4. After you receive approval, if the purchase is above the $5,000 threshold you will receive a Purchase Order.

A Sole Source Procurement can be requested by submitting the Sole Source Justification Google Form. This method of procurement should only be used in limited situations where competition is unavailable.

Once the vendor is an approved Sole Source, the Department Sponsor does not need to submit the form again. The Procurement Office will review Sole Source submissions and provide a determination to the Department Sponsor with an expiration date of that status. The Department Sponsor can choose to pro-actively submit the Sole Source Justification form for a vendor they anticipate purchasing from in the future.

1. Ensure you have approval to make the purchase and verify there is budget available.
2. Submit the Sole Source Justification Form for the vendor. You can do this step in advance or submit the form before you send the Requisition to the Procurement Office.
3. Fill out a submission in the Requisition Dashboard and indicate that you are suggesting a Sole Source procurement. If the Procurement Office already approved the vendor to be a Sole Source, provide the approval date.
4. The Procurement Office will review the submission. If complete, you will receive approval in 3 business days. If you submit a new Sole Source Justification form with the requisition, both will be reviewed at the same time.
5. After you receive approval, if the purchase is over the $5,000 threshold you will receive a Purchase Order.