Purchasing Methods & Procedures

Purchasing Thresholds

Dollar Bidding Purchasing Rules

Available Purchasing Methods

Purchase Amount	One-Card	Amazon Punch-out	Direct Purchase	Purchasing Assigned	Specialized Equipment or Services (Only One Supplier)	Use of Existing Contracts – UTD, UT System approved Cooperative and Group Purchasing Organizations (GPO)
Under $5000	Available1,2	Available1,2	Minimum of one quote1,2	Minimum of one quote	One quote	Recommended for routine purchasing (e.g. office supplies)10
$5,000 -$14,999	Not allowed	Not allowed	Minimum of one quote2	Minimum of one quote	One quote	Recommended10
$15,000 – $49,999	Not allowed	Not allowed	Not allowed	Minimum of three quotes3	One quote EAJ required4 (If no existing contract)	Recommended10
Over $50,0005,6,7,8,9	Not allowed	Not allowed	Not allowed	Formal bid (Only if no existing contract)	One quote EAJ required4 (If no existing contract)	Contract required (Only if best value)10

• ¹Single transaction limit of $5,000.
• ²See One Card program webpage for prohibited One-card, Amazon punch-out, and direct purchase transactions.
• ³Include 2 HUB suppliers if possible.
• ⁴EAJ = Exclusive Acquisition Justification.
• ⁵HUB Subcontracting Plan (HSP) required for purchases greater than $100,000.
• ⁶Additional requirements on GPOs apply for purchases greater than $500,000.
• ⁷Office of General Council review required for purchases over $1 million.
• ⁸Board of Regents approval required for purchases over $2.5 million.
• ⁹Departments are expected to contact purchasing@utdallas.edu for assistance with purchases over $50,000
• ¹⁰A minimum of 1 or more accredited GPO quotes if best value 

Splitting one transaction into several or otherwise breaking down a purchase so that each component falls under a particular dollar threshold is specifically prohibited.

For current and past bid opportunities, please see Bid Opportunities.

Rules To Be Followed for All University Purchases

• An exclusive acquisition may only be used for three categories of purchases: a proprietary, an emergency purchase, or certain professional services (unique or necessary). Competitive purchasing is generally best, as it typically leads to reduced costs. For more information about exclusive acquisitions, visit the Purchasing Method page.
• Per UT System policy, only the Purchasing department can sign procurement-related contracts and agreements and issue Purchase Orders or conduct formal BIDS and RFP Request for Proposals.
• Verbal orders from UTD Departments without authorization from Purchasing might be a personal obligation of that individual and not the University.
• Delegations of Authority (pdf)
• SAM Federal System for Award Management, orders over $25,000
• SBA rules for Federal Grants, grant orders over $25,000
• All orders are subject to the Texas Public Information Act.
• The number of lines on a purchase order is limited to 30. 

Request for Formal Solicitation

Request for Formal Solicitation (RFS) Form

State of Texas law and UT Dallas policy requires competitive bidding for procurements over $50,000. Group Purchasing Organization contracts meet this requirement and may be used. If a GPO is not available, please submit the completed RFS form to Purchasing at purchasing@utdallas.edu. Purchasing will review the request and contact the department to discuss possible solicitation methods.

Exclusive Acquisition Justification

Exclusive Acquisition Justification Form (EAJ)

An exclusive acquisition may only be used for three categories of purchases:

• Proprietary and Best Value: the products or services are only available through a single source, and / or are used for compatibility of existing equipment, and / or are necessary to continue service or research, or are specifically required by a contract or grant.
• Emergency: a delay in purchasing would create a hazard to life, health, safety, welfare, or property.
• Professional Services: the professional service providers are uniquely qualified, necessary to continue service or research, or are specifically required by a contract or grant.

The EAJ form is not intended to determine whether the purchase is necessary, but only to determine whether the purchase can be made without a competitive bidding process.

Emergency Purchasing Procedures

Emergency Purchase Standard Procedure

Definition:

The existence of an emergency condition may create an immediate and serious need for goods or services that cannot be met through normal competitive procurement methods

Emergency circumstances would typically threaten:

• Employee and public safety
• University property
• UTD’s capabilities for supplying necessary services to students, faculty and staff.

Below is the procedure for emergency purchases.

Stage 1: Campus Department

1. Request quotes from suppliers
2. Obtain approval from Department Head or designee
3. Email purchasing@utdallas.edu with “Emergency Purchase” in Subject line, and include:
   • Quotes from suppliers or estimated cost
   • Department Head or designee’s approval
4. Create a non-catalog requisition in eProcurement and state “Emergency Purchase” in the Internal Notes’ business justification and attach the email approval from Purchasing to the requisition, along with the required EAJ if the amount was $15,000 or greater. 

Stage 2: Purchasing

1. Verify emergency business justification and approvals
2. Approve and process the requisition
3. Issue a Purchase Order
4. Update the Emergency Purchase File