Procurement Services Auxiliary Services

Competitive Bids

Goods and services not under contract with the University follow the below direction based on dollar value of the purchase. The below steps are not all inclusive of every situation. The Delegation Manual explains the University's purchasing methods and practices. A quick reference guide on Non-Catalog Orders – Procurement Methods is also available.

Dollar Amount: ≤ $999 – $4,999

  • Recommend at least two verbal or email quotes be obtained for the good or service.

Dollar Amount: ≤ $5,000 – $9,999

  • Recommend at least two written quotes be obtained for the good or service.

Remaining steps apply to all quotes

  1. Efforts should be made to include at least one Minority-, Veteran-, or Woman-owned business in the quote process

  2. When possible, solicit quotes from suppliers already established in Ariba, this will allow you to easily create the requisition and purchase order.

  3. Remind the supplier Purdue is tax exempt and validate quotes do not include tax

  4. Document how the pricing was obtained on the RFQ Summary.

  5. Confirm selected supplier is not on the state or federal suspended vendor lists.

    1. If the supplier is on either of the lists, you must award to your second choice. The second choice must also be validated against the suspended vendor listings.

    2. Keep a copy of the search results in your document file.

  6. Search for the supplier in Ariba using QRC Searching for a Vendor (login required).

    1. If the supplier cannot be found, utilize the P-Card if the total purchase is less than $4,999.

    2. If the purchase is greater than $4,999 and this is a one-time purchase, utilize the P- Card.

    3. If the purchase is greater than $4,999 and will be a reoccurring purchase, request Ariba new supplier set up.

    4. If the supplier does not accept P-Card, have them provide a direct invoice for payment.

  7. Create a non-catalog requisition in the eProcurement tool. See QRC Creating Requisitions in Ariba (login required) 

  8. Attach supporting RFQ documentation to the requisition. 

Dollar Amount: $10,000+

Complete a 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.