Special Purchases

Special purchases refer to purchasing situations where the competitive bidding process is not utilized. This may be a result of the following exceptions:

• Emergency conditions: When there exists, under emergency conditions, a threat to public health, welfare or safety.
• Compatibility of equipment, accessories, or replacement parts: (1) Compatibility of equipment, accessories or replacement parts is a substantial consideration in the purchase; and (2) only one source meets the university’s reasonable requirements.
• Data Processing contract or license agreements: Purchase of data processing contracts or license agreements for software programs or supplies/services, when only one source meets the university's reasonable requirements.
• Savings to the university: When there exists a unique opportunity to obtain supplies or services at a substantial savings, as determined by Procurement Services, to the university.
• Unique product/service: Products or services with unique or proprietary features limited to one source and where no comparable product or service exists.

Purchases under $10,000

On purchases of $9,999 or less, the delegate must document the required business justification on the Special Purchases Form (pdf) and retain it in the delegate’s procurement file.

A solicitation process or pre-approval by Procurement Services is not required. The delegate may negotiate deliverables, but Procurement Services must approve the terms and conditions before signing the contract.

Purchases $10,000 and greater

Purchases that are $10,000 or greater require pre-approval from Procurement Services and may be considered a special purchase. Procurement Services will evaluate the request and determine the appropriate procurement method, which may or may not include the competitive bidding process.

Review the Quote Process for these purchases.

Required Forms

The delegate must complete the following forms and submit them electronically to Procurement Services:

• Special Purchases Form (pdf) – Attach this form in the online submission via the link below.
• Request for Purchases $10,000 and Over form
  • If you experience issues accessing this form, please follow the SharePoint log in instructions.

Procurement Services staff will determine the best procurement method for the request and provide the delegate with next steps and estimated processing timelines. 

Contact the Strategic Sourcing staff if you have questions about this process.