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Purchasing and Contracting
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Q: |
My department is interested in purchasing services and/or goods from an outside vendor. How should this be handled?
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A: |
Vendors often ask us to adhere to their standard contract with terms and conditions that are often not favorable to the University. It is preferable to offer them the University's standard Contract for Professional Services or Purchase Order Terms and Conditions, which, if necessary, can always be renegotiated with the vendor through the Office of the General Counsel. A good starting point is the Purchasing Services Department of the University. Note that depending on the dollar amount of the purchase, different levels of authority must approve the purchase. Included within Purchasing's policies are guidelines to help ensure that the University is paying a reasonable price, etc.
In addition, Purchasing often enters into University-wide contracts with vendors for all campus purchases of equipment and/or services, in which case your department may not need a new contract. Finally, in certain cases Purchasing's policies encourage or require the use of A HREF="http://purchserv.finop.umn.edu/documents/Publications/Publications.html">requests for proposals before a purchase contract can be finalized.
To view requests for proposals you need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. |
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