Procurement Guide Thresholds & Exemptions

Procurement Guide Thresholds

One of the primary functions of the purchasing department is to ensure that all SUNY System Administration's purchases are in accordance with the rules and regulations of New York State.

The table below contains the latest higher procurement thresholds for open market purchases set forth in the SUNY Item 7553 procurement guidelines. System Administration has been authorized to participate in these the SUNY Item 7553 procurement guidelines. System Administration has been authorized to participate in these new higher thresholds because of our satisfactory performance as measured by previous audits of internal controls and purchasing practices. Your cooperation in adhering to these guidelines is requested. If you have any questions regarding these guidelines, contact the purchasing department.

Dollar Limits Corresponding Requirements

Dollar LimitsCorresponding Requirements
$0 - $2,500 Purchase commodities or services directly from a responsible vendor.
$2,500.01 - $50,000 Purchase commodities or services directly from a responsible vendor. While no competition is required, you should take the steps necessary to ensure that prices are reasonable. Written documentation should be maintained to support both the selection of the vendor and reasonableness of price (recommend three vendor prices).
$50,000.01 - $125,000 Minimum of three informal bids or proposals from responsible vendors offering such commodity/service. Procurement must be advertised in the NYS Contract Reporter and respondents given the opportunity to submit quote.
$125,000.01 - $250,000 Minimum of five sealed bids. Procurement must be advertised in the NYS Contract Reporter and respondents given the opportunity to submit quote.

 

Exemptions from Procurement Guide Thresholds

  • Purchases can be made from any OGS Centralized State Contract without the need to solicit competitive bids or proposals regardless of dollar amount.
  • The following are preferred source purchases regardless of dollar amount:
  • Minority/Women Business Enterprises:
    • It is the official policy of the State University of New York to take affirmative action to ensure that minority and women owned business enterprises are given the opportunity to provide goods and services at competitive prices. Vendors must be a certified Minority/Women owned business enterprise and are subject to competitive guidelines over $50,000.00. We have been given M/BWE goals expressed as a percentage of total purchasing volume and every effort should be made to accomplish these goals
  • Sole Source, Single Source and Emergency Procurements:
    • Where competition would otherwise be require, but is not feasible due to sole source, single source or emergency nature of a commodity or service you must be able to justify and document the selection of the vendor and establish the reasonableness of the price. In accordance with the State Finance Law, exceptions to general requirements for competitive selection shall be made only under unusual circumstances. The department must maintain written justification supporting sole source, single source or emergency declaration. Listing of State Contract Award Notices by Commodities.
  • An exemption from advertising in the NYS Contract Reporter on procurements in excess of $20,000 must be obtained. A notice of either the letting or award of such purchases will be required to be published in the NYS Contract Reporter.

Please be reminded that split ordering is not allowed. Purchases should not be divided so as to fall under a particular dollar level in order to avoid competitive purchasing. This type of purchasing will jeopardize System Administrations current flexibility and result in losing our higher thresholds.

Purchasing Guidelines