Procurement Policies, Procedures & Forms
Procurement Overview
The Purchasing Department is responsibility for supporting and facilitating Medgar Evers College Community in discerning the most prudent and efficient stewardship of resources in procuring goods and services. The University must be in compliance with all regulations, procedures and guidelines mandated by the State of New York, and the City University of New York.
Medgar Evers College is public institution spending public funds.
It is imperative that all of the College’s expenditures are open and transparent and especially that all “no bid” contracts are free from any hint of favoritism.
To that end if you’re requesting a specific product/service or Vendor (even if the product is FREE or for a trial basis) then the explanation for the proposed purchase for the procurement file should demonstrate:
- The College’s need for the specific product or service (and not an alternative)
- Describe the product or services & provide the Material and substantial reasons why this product/service (and vendor) is especially well suited for the College even though there are several products that can meet the College’s needs.
- This is…explain how the selected product uniquely meets the college’s needs
- Identify each of the other products/services (and vendors) that were considered and the reasons why those competing products/services will not meet the college’s needs as well as the one chosen
- Describe how you determined that the price is fair and reasonable.
(Methods of establishing price reasonableness: Informal quotes by Procurement department (e.g. telephone or written), historical prices, prices charged to other governmental entities, and comparison to the vendor’s published list prices or market prices) - What are the alternatives for the College if this purchase cannot be made?
Please note that the Procurement office may have additional follow up questions, because the procurement file also needs to include information to:
- confirm that the product/service requested is not available through a Preferred Source or existing State (Office of General Services) contract;
- explain the circumstances and the material and substantial reasons why a public (competitive) solicitation process is not feasible. (Please note that advertising the proposed purchase is required if the value of the contract is at least $50,000.); and
- explain how the College determined that a single/sole source procurement was the best procurement method.
- According to CUNY & NYS only the Purchasing Department is authorized to buy for the college
- All Purchases of Goods & services has to come through Purchasing.
- We are the only department authorized by NYS to make purchases
- The State calls us the “Agents”
- Individuals could be held liable to pay for purchases made outside of the Purchasing Department
Contracts
Contracts are a specialized purchase in the sense that they incur legal obligations between the vendor and the college
The vendor will always try to include terms that are beneficial to them, therefore ALL contracts regardless of the dollar value must be reviewed by CUNY’s OGC to ensure that the terms are acceptable to CUNY & MEC
- It’s always a great idea to involve Purchasing in the beginning stages of a conversation with vendors
- We know some of the questions OGC will ask and so we can provide guidance
Confirming/Unauthorized Orders
Confirming Orders are orders placed by individuals outside of the purchasing department and they are a violation of the University’s procurement policy. All requests for goods and services begins with the creation and submission of a CUNYBuy requisition and the subsequence issuance of a Purchase Order by the Purchasing Office.
Procurement Forms
To be used for new Vendors/Suppliers. The form should be sent to the Purchasing Department once the form is completed by the vendor. Establishing new vendors is a Procurement Function.
To be used for Auxiliary Enterprise; Education Foundation; Ella Baker Charles Romain Child Development Center; Student Faculty Association
To be used when funds are in OTPS
CUNY First Procurement Access Form
To add, change or remove individual rolls.
