1. Requisition to Purchase

   1. A requisition should be created to make purchases not made on a Purchasing Card. It is used to request purchases of all commodities/services through Purchasing Services. It provides the chartfield information to be charged, item descriptions, quantity, delivery instructions, vendor information and desired delivery date. Complete and correct preparation of the requisition expedites the purchasing process. Except in the case of an approved emergency, the requisition must be received by Purchasing Services before purchasing action can be initiated.
   2. A requisition is initiated through myUFl portal.
   3. Each requisition should contain only those items that may be purchased from the same vendor.
   4. When preparing a requisition state the noun first followed by descriptive information, including manufacturer and part number, if known.
       

2. Purchases from Small and Minority Business Enterprises

   The University is an equal opportunity institution and encourages procurement contracting with Small and Minority Business Enterprises.

3. Purchases from Contractors Convicted of Public Entity Crimes

   The University shall not accept a competitive solicitation from, or purchase commodities or contractual services from, a person or affiliate who has been convicted of a public entity crime and has been placed on the State of Florida's convicted vendor list for a period of 36 months from the date of being added to the convicted vendor list.

4. Quotes/Bids/Proposals

   1. Purchasing Services shall determine when a quote/bid/proposal is obtained for commodities, services, printing and deferred contracts for any item or group of items, except as provided in section 1.4.12.6. of these directives. For purchases between $5,000 and $74,999, informal quotes may be solicited when the commodity or service warrants competitive pricing.
   2. Purchasing Services may advertise any formal invitation to bid or request for proposal in a newspaper of general circulation when such public notice is deemed to be in the best interest of the University and consistent with the proposed purchase involved.
   3. When only one quote/bid/proposal is received for the purchase of an item or a group of items in a call for quotes/bids/proposals, the Purchasing Coordinator shall review the quote/bid/proposal to determine the reasons, if any, why only one quote/bid/proposal was received. If it is determined that a second call for quotes/bids/proposals would not be in the best interest of the University, the circumstances shall be documented and the Purchasing Coordinator may proceed with the purchase. If it is determined that a second call for quotes/bid/proposals would be in the best interest of the University, the Purchasing Coordinator may issue additional quote/bid/proposal solicitations. The Purchasing Coordinator shall document a single quote/bid/proposal on the requisition for purchases' between $25,000 and $74,999. A single formal bid/proposal $75,000 or more will be documented on a single bid affidavit and presented to the Director or Assistant Director of Purchasing for approval.
   4. In the event no quotes/bid/proposals are received, the Purchasing Coordinate may negotiate the purchase at the most favorable terms.
   5. When multiple responses that are equal in all respects are received to a competitive solicitation, the University will give preference to responses that include commodities manufactured in the state, Florida businesses, business with drug-free workplace program, or foreign manufacturers located in the state to determine the contract award, or, if these conditions do not exist or are the equivalent between two or more responses, will use toss of the coin.
   6. In accordance with Florida Law and the Purchasing Directives, no purchase shall be divided or subdivided in order to circumvent the quote/bid/proposal requirements.
   7. All formal solicitations issued by the University shall include the standard "University of Florida Acknowledgement" form.
   8. Purchasing Services, at its sole discretion, shall determine whether a response meets or exceeds specifications.
   9. The University shall reserve the right to reject any and all bids or proposals and such reservation shall be made part of the file.
   10. The intended award for an Invitation to Bid, Request for Proposal or Invitations to Negotiate shall be posted electronically on the Purchasing Services' website for 72 hours excluding Saturdays, Sundays, or State Holidays.
   11. In the case of extension errors, the unit price will prevail.
   12. Withdrawal - A vendor may withdraw his or her bid or proposal in writing if done within seventy-two (72) hours of the bid or proposal opening, if the bid or proposal is clearly erroneous and it is withdrawn prior to final award or the purchase order being issued.
        

5. The Purchase Order

   The purchase order, initiates a contract by accepting legally the offer made by the vendor.

6. Amount Only Purchase Orders

   1. An Amount Only Purchase Order (AOPO) is a simplified method of filling urgent needs for small quantities of supplies or services by establishing open accounts with qualified suppliers. AOPO's are designed to expedite the acquisition of urgently, and/or frequently, needed supplies or services and to reduce administrative costs in accomplishing small purchases by eliminating the need for issuing individual purchase orders. Purchasing Cards should be used in lieu of AOPO's whenever feasible.

   2. An Amount Only Purchase Order may not be used when:

      1. The aggregate monetary value will exceed $75,000 for any one type of item or service in any twelve month period (unless a bid is referenced).
      2. Purchases are for capital (property > $1000) items.
      3. Purchases are of a personal nature.
      4. The term is for longer than one calendar year (unless a bid is referenced).
      5. The term will cross fiscal years utilizing annually appropriated funds.
          

   3. Requisitions are prepared by the using departments and forwarded to Purchasing Services. One requisition is required each fiscal year for each vendor. Requisitions using grant funds which do not expire on June 30, should show the expiration date of the grant. Each requisition submitted to establish an AOPO must contain the following information:

      1. Description of supplies or services to be furnished by the vendor, limited to specific items or commodity groups or to all items that the supplier is in a position to furnish (see limitation on use above), vendor, chartfield information.
      2. Suggested beginning and ending dates.
      3. Dollar amount to be encumbered for anticipated expenditures sufficient to defray total anticipated charges.
      4. List of names of individuals authorized to make purchases on the agreement.
      5. Superseded purchase order number, if applicable.
          

   4. Purchasing Services will negotiate an agreement on prices, discounts, minimum purchases, and delivery with the supplier before the AOPO is issued.

   5. Orders against AOPO's may be made verbally by an individual authorized to place orders against the agreement. When placing an order, the individual should identify himself/herself and give the applicable AOPO purchase order number.

   6. The encumbrance of an AOPO may be increased or decreased by the using department by submitting a request for a change order to Purchasing Services.

7. Change Request

   A change request can be issued to modify quantities, unit price, due date, delivery schedule or location or to cancel the purchase order. Departments must initiate requests for change orders in writing, or through the myUFL portal. Construction change requests, for 500 Fund series, are processed through the Construction Accounting department.

8. Receiving

   Receiving is required to be performed in the MyUFL system for purchases of capital assets. Although not required to be received online, all departments must develop a method of properly documenting the receipt for all goods and services. When entering a voucher applied against an encumbrance for capital assets, the MyUFL system will require that a receipt exists for the PO that is being paid or a match exception will be created (see "Match Exceptions" in section 1.4.13.8 (D)(2) of the Disbursement Directives and Procedures) Instructions on how to enter a receipt in MyUFL can be found at the following website: http://www.bridges.ufl.edu/training/docs/ReceivingItems.pdf

9. Claims for Loss or Damage in Shipment

   Responsibility of Department receiving the shipment - Damage to shipments must be recorded and processed in accordance with regulations applying to common carriers. Visible damage shall be noted on the freight company's receipt at the time of delivery. Concealed damage must be officially reported to the freight company within fifteen calendar days after the company delivers the items to the University. Failure to report damages in this time frame will result in the University's loss of right to file a claim and collect for damages. Notify Purchasing Services in writing with a copy of the company's receipt, the purchase order number, the carrier's name, and the date of receipt.

10. Receipt of Unsolicited Goods

    Florida Statutes 570.545 states that when unsolicited goods are delivered, the person is not obligated to return the goods to the sender or make payment to the vendor. The law also states that unsolicited goods shall be deemed a gift and recipient may use or dispose of them in any manner without obligation to the sender.

11. Right of Refusal

    At the discretion of the department items may be refused for any of the following reasons: no purchase order, damage visibly perceived, or unsolicited goods.