Making Purchases: How to Buy
Learn how to purchase what you need to carry on the college’s mission.
Recent Changes to NYS Procurement Laws
Effective March 17, 2023 new legislation has been signed that restores OSC pre-approval authority on SUNY procurements valued at $75,000 or more. Learn more about these changes below:
- Memorandum to Campus on Procurement Law Changes
- Procurement Threshold Matrix
- Comparison of Procurement Law Changes
Purchasing Guidelines
The college’s basic procurement objective is to secure the most appropriate materials, supplies, equipment and services from the most reasonable and responsible sources, consistent with quality requirements and delivery needs as will best promote the interests of the college.
The practice of competitive bidding, whether formal (sealed bids or proposals) or informal (quotations), not only tends to assure reasonable prices, but also guards against favoritism, improvidence and fraud, and should therefore be used to the extent practicable, as provided herein. Purchases may be made directly by a campus or pursuant to any contract for commodities or services let by the Office of General Services or SUNY Systems Administration.
All purchases made using state funds are subject to the New York state finance law and rules and regulations promulgated by the Office of the State Comptroller (“OSC”). They are also subject to procedures developed by SUNY and/or the college.
OSC performs pre- and post-audits on various transactions processed by Regional Procurement Services. OSC has the authority to approve or deny payments and/or contracts.
Who is Authorized to Purchase?
Only the Director of Procurement Services is authorized to sign a purchase order or contract to commit a financial obligation on behalf of the college.
Contracts, agreements, licenses and any other contractual document requiring a college representative to sign must be reviewed and signed by the purchasing office. It is in violation of NYS finance laws to procure a service or commodity without acquiring necessary approvals and documents in advance. Individuals doing so without proper authorization may be subject to the imposition of discipline and may be held personally liable for any indebtedness that is ultimately held to be owed to the contractor/vendor.
Competitive Purchases
Procurement Services has available a wide variety of primary and open market sources for competitive purchases. Below is a prioritized list of sources for making competitive purchases.
Making a Competitive Purchase
Threshold for Open Market Sources
The total amount of the purchase represents the total financial obligation incurred by the college. In a multi-year contract, the obligation incurred over the entire contract term must be considered, rather than the annual amount alone.
This table has been developed to assist departments with understanding New York State Procurement Requirements. It provides a general overview of requirements when purchasing commodities, services, construction, and constructed-related services from the open market. Different rules govern the purchase from NYS Preferred Sources; New York State Centralized Contracts; as well as emergency, single source, or sole source procurements. Rules for these purchases can be found in the attachment under the table.
Purchase Amount | Advertising | Competitive Selection | Outside Prior Approval | M/WBE Goals |
---|---|---|---|---|
Purchases up to $2,500.00 | No publication in New York State Contract Reporter required | No competitive selection required. However, the department should take steps to ensure price is reasonable and be able to justify, if requested. | No outside approval generally required | No M/WBE goals required |
$2500.01 to $10,000.00 | No publication in New York State Contract Reporter required | No competitive selection required. However, a Vendor Selection and Price Justification Checklist and supporting documentation (e.g. 3 quotes) provided to justify reasonableness of price and selection of vendor. | No outside approval generally required | No M/WBE goals required |
$10,000.01 to $49,999.99 | Quarterly publication in New York State Contract Reporter required | No competitive selection required. However, a Vendor Selection and Price Justification Checklist and supporting documentation (e.g. 3 quotes) provided to justify reasonableness of price and selection of vendor. | No outside approval generally required | M/WBE goals required for service, commodity, and construction-related service contracts exceeding $25,000. |
$50,000.00 to $74,999.99 | 15-business day notice in New York State Contract Reporter required | Competitive selection required. Must solicit a minimum of three informal quotations from vendors. | No outside approval generally required | M/WBE goals required for service, commodity, and construction-related service contracts. |
$75,000 to $125,000.00 | 15-business day notice in New York State Contract Reporter required | Competitive selection required. Must solicit a minimum of three informal quotations from vendors | Must be pre-approved by the attorney general and Office of State Comptroller | M/WBE goals required for service, commodity, and construction-related service contracts. Construction contracts exceeding $100,000 must also have MWBE goals |
$125,000.01 or More | 15-business day notice in New York State Contract Reporter required | Competitive selection generally required. Must solicit a minimum of five formal sealed bids or proposals. | Must be pre-approved by the attorney general and Office of State Comptroller | M/WBE goals required |
For more detailed information download the Purchasing Threshold Matrix below.
Download the Purchasing Threshold Matrix
Expenditure/Reimbursement Guidelines
The following guidelines are intended to assist college personnel with determining if an expenditure is allowable from state funds. State funds include state purpose allocation, DIFR, IFR, and SUTRA funds. These guidelines have been established based upon guidance from the Office of the State Comptroller and SUNY System Administration. To satisfy state audit requirements, departments must be able to provide written justification regarding how the item purchased or service rendered is program or mission related and/or beneficial to the college.
Please address any questions regarding this document or items not addressed in this document to the budget and financial reporting office and/or the purchasing office. For questions regarding the use of SA funds, College Foundation funds, or Research Foundation funds, please contact the custodian of those funds.
Expenditure Guidelines for State Funds
Additional Important Information
Learn more about other considerations and requirements concerning your purchase.