The University's procurement processes are governed by federal and state statutes, UT System Regents Rules, and UT System Policies. For a high level overview of the spend thresholds and general guidelines refer to "The Business of Buying at UT Arlington".

All contractual documents must be signed by a University official authorized by the Board to contractually bind the University. This is a very limited group.

If the agreement will also require a PO, you should submit the agreement to Procurement along with the supporting documentation. UTA employees are not authorized to sign supplier agreements on behalf of the University.

No, unless it is an emergency as defined by the State of Texas meaning that public health or safety is imminent.

Fiscal Procedure BF-PGS-PR-01, Best Value Purchasing, Section IV, G. 3

Except for credit card purchases and those purchases exempt from the purchasing process (ref. Section H) A PURCHASE ORDER OR A PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER MUST BE OBTAINED BEFORE A PURCHASE IS MADE. Any individual making a puerchase without proper authority first being given is assuming a personal obligation to the supplier for which he/she may be held personally liable.

Disbursements will not process or approve payments for goods and/or services when purchases are made prior to a purchase order being issued or a purchase order number being obtained from Procurement unless approved by the Chief Procurement Officer or designee via a BA Exception Tracker Request.

 

Please visit the Find a Buyer page.

Please visit form BF-PGS-F3, Texas Sales and Use Tax Exemption Certification.

The same procurement rules apply for leasing equipment the same as buying. If the items are not covered by an already established contract, then the competitive process must be followed in accordance with the established guidelines.

If relocation assistance is desired, please see Procedure HR-E-PR-20 Relocation Allowance.

 

A requisition is necessary when requesting the purchase of goods and services, regardless of the source of funds, unless the purchase is to be made from a Pro-Card or is eligible to be paid with a non-PO voucher for items listed as “exempt” in Procedure BF-PGS-PR-01 Best Value Purchasing.

The State of Texas Purchasing Card (the "ProCard") is the preferred method of placing orders that are $4,000 or less, ref. Purchasing Card (ProCard) Program (Procedure BF-PGC-PR-12). If the ProCard is not accepted by the supplier, or is not an allowable ProCard purchase, then the purchase will be made with a small dollar purchase order.

 

 

A full listing of available UT Share training subject matter can be found at the Division of Business Affairs/ website under the Training page. Also listed there are several useful Tutorials, Training Guides, Job Aids, Quick Reference Guides, Power Points, Tools and UPKs (User Productivity Kits).

In addition, Strategic Sourcing and Procurement staff are available to come visit with your departmental personnel and deliver informative sessions on a variety of procurement and contract related topics. For more information contact your Buyer or Joe White at 817-272-6148 / josephsw@uta.edu

Issuing PO to vendors for less than $15,000 is the responsibility of the departments. POs $15,000 and greater will be dispatched to the vendor by Procurement, and the department will be copied.

If another copy of a Purchase Order is required, contact the designated buyer and they can re-dispatch.

All exceptions will be requested in UTA SharePoint through the BA Exception Tracker Request. The requestor needs to complete three (3) areas: Department, Subject (drop‐down menu containing exceptions), and Justification. Make sure to include any relevant and related detailed information.

Upon completion of the online form, the requestor can either save or submit for approval. When the request is submitted to Business Affairs, the designated approver will be notified by email so that the request can be reviewed. Lastly, the initiator of the request will be notified via email of the final action taken by Business Affairs.

 

MAVeSHOP in an on-line shopping portal that links to many University-wide contracts. A list of current contracts available can be found on the MAVeSHOP web page. Actual access to MAVeSHOP is granted by the Requester(s) in your department. Training and information for both Shoppers and Requesters is available through Knowledge Services.

 

The use of pre-paid or partial paid Purchase Orders is discouraged and should be utilized very rarely. Such payments in advance of receipt of goods places the end user’s department and the University at risk of loss if these goods are not received as ordered, or in unsatisfactory condition. The end user must attest to the fact of assuming all financial responsibility should anything happen.

Occasionally a Supplier refuses to accept a University Purchase Order without full or partial payment in advance. In order for a pre-payment to be considered, the following information must be provided to Procurement Services:

• The Requisition must be accompanied by documentation explaining the reason for pre-payment and why it is in the University’s best business interest to make a pre-payment.
• Documentation must include evidence of the Supplier's demand for pre-payment.
• Documentation verifying the prices, such as a quotation from the Supplier, price list, Supplier order form, or pro-forma invoice.
• If approved, once a Purchase Order is issued including the pre-payment language, the amount of the agree upon pre-payment may be invoiced by the vendor.

A sole source exists when there is a need for a specific item or service that is only available from one source. An Exclusive Acquisition Justification (EAJ) Form (BF-PGS-F1) must accompany the requisition. The explanation in the EAJ must answer two primary questions:

1. What is the unique feature or specification, and
2. Why does the University need that specification or feature?

Only sole source purchases are made for requests which contain specifications or conditions proprietary to one vendor, thereby eliminating the possibility of obtaining competitive bids. Only sole brand purchases are made for requests which contain specifications or conditions unique to a specific brand, thereby eliminating the possibility of competitive bids for other than the specified brand, though competitive pricing will be requested from multiple suppliers of that brand.

The University does not have a Bid list. The State of Texas’ Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL) is utilized when searching for vendors. Vendors should visit the State Comptroller’s web page for information on How to do Business with the State (and University).

Call the vendor immediately. Save the carton, all packing material, freight bill and packing slip, and ask for an inspection by the shipper of the goods. If the item was received through the Central Receiving department they will handle the task for you.

Yes. For specific details and procedures related to our temporary employment services contracts, please refer to the Preferred Supplier Agreements.