Purchasing/Accounts Payable
Policies
For purchase of supplies, services or equipment less than $3,000 bids are taken when requested and price quotations are obtained on many other items although the various quotations are not documented. All invited bidders must be afforded the opportunity to compete on equal terms. Generally the requests for material or service information will be made by the Purchasing Department. It is permissible for the user department to make contact with vendors for the needed information.
Any correspondence that would effect a change in a purchase order after it has been issued should be coordinated through the Purchasing Department. The Purchasing Department will either contact the vendor and inform them to cancel the purchase order pending the arrival of a corrected purchase order or merely have them amend the purchase order based upon the request. The purchase order on file is then revised to reflect the changes made via the telephone conversation.
The goal of the Purchasing Department is to establish and maintain close liaison with all departments on the campus in order to meet their purchase requirements while promoting the best interests of Bradley.
Purchasing Department will also strive to maintain a good relationship with vendors of proven ability and new sources of supply will be given due consideration. Only the Controller and assistant are authorized to obligate the University for materials or services. Also, officers of the University may act as agents of the University when procuring goods or services. In the event an unauthorized person acts as an agent of the University, the University will have legal recourse against the unauthorized agent for any obligations incurred.
Bradley University is a member of the Educational and Institutional Cooperative Service, Inc. This service offers the benefit of group purchasing power to education institutions.
Formal Bids
Purchases of supplies, services or equipment that exceed $25,000 are subject to a formal bid request, defined as a written solicitation to at least three interested and qualified vendors and containing complete and unrestricted specifications to permit free and full competition. It must also include quantity, quality, delivery requirements and all other pertinent data, so all factors can be weighed in determining the successful bidder.
The only type of purchasing that will be excluded from formal bidding procedures are:
- Sole source of supply
- Blanket purchase arrangements
- Standardized equipment
- Emergency purchases
- Executive directive
- Geographical location
Departments that do their own product and vendor selection by the formal bidding process will retain all bid information in their department.
Conflict of Interest
All Bradley University personnel engaged in procurement and related activities must conduct business dealing with vendors in a manner above reproach in every respect. The conduct of Bradley personnel in addition to being in compliance with the Purchasing Department policies and regulations of Bradley University must be such that the individual would have no reticence about making full disclosure of his/her conduct.
Accounts Payable
Requisitions and invoices that are not related to a purchase order must be received before 5 p.m. on Monday in order to be processed in the following week’s check run, i.e. check requests received by 5 p.m. on Monday, August 7, will be available after 3 p.m. on Tuesday August 15. Lack of information or proper authorization could delay the processing. Business purpose should be obvious; otherwise it should be notated on the detail. Higher signature authority is required on memberships and dues; i.e. directors can not sign off on their own memberships, even though they have sign off authority on the account.
Requests for Honorariums and Awards need to be submitted on a timely basis in order to meet the time restraints of the check run. Manual checks are strongly discouraged. The department needs to allow enough time for the Honorarium or Award to go through the proper channels for authorization. Awards involving students need to be approved by the Financial Assistance Director, the Payroll Director, and possibly Grants and Restricted Funds or Endowment personnel. If the student is on the university payroll system, the award will be processed in a subsequent payroll and the appropriate taxes will be withheld. If the student is not on the university payroll system, the Accounts Payable department will mark the student as a “1099 vendor” and process a check. The appropriate tax forms will be completed at year end.
Departments paying honorariums or using the services of an independent contractor (non-Bradley employee) must complete the Determination of Independent Contractor Status document. The Independent Contractor form must be on file with Accounts Payable before any payment is made to an Independent Contractor. See INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS & IRS FORM MISC 1099 for a form and instructions.