Procurement Services - Some Helpful Guidance

The primary mission of UCF Procurement Services is to support the university by procuring goods and services that sustain, foster, and promote the educational and research mission of the university. Our goal is to do this in the most ethical, efficient, and courteous manner possible while adhering to the letter and intent of all applicable laws, regulations and policies.

The procurement process is not meant to be cumbersome or deter you from getting what you need—quite the opposite! Our job is to assist you in securing the items and services you need and help you plan for future purchases while remaining compliant with state and university rules.

Here are a few simple rules you can follow to help stay in compliance and expedite your purchasing needs:

• The dollar amount of a purchase determines the level of competition required. Review our competition requirements for more information. We encourage you to seek competition for all purchases, regardless of dollar amount, because competition works!
• Confirm you have a purchase order, executed contract, approved PCard transaction, or verbal approval from Procurement Services prior to initiating any work with a supplier.
• If you’re unsure of the total amount of your purchase, create a requisition for the estimated cost. If the cost is higher than the estimate, you can do a change order to add funds later. If it turns out to be less, the unused funds will be returned to your budget.
• Monitor your expiring contracts and renewal options to ensure there are no gaps in service and allow ample time to negotiate and execute renewals.
• Use existing contracts where you can! Piggyback/adoptable contracts can save time, money and resources, as well as leverage spend and economies of scale. Many times, these contracts can be used at any dollar level and without seeking additional competition. Review our piggyback guidelines for more information and our website for useful contracts from various cooperatives and agencies.

Additional guidance on various procurement policies, procedures and processes can be found in our Procedures Manual. Our Frequently Asked Questions webpage is also a great resource.

We understand that it can be difficult to navigate the procurement process. As procurement professionals, our number-one goal is to provide exceptional service to each of you. Please feel free to contact us any time during your procurement planning, and we’ll be happy to guide you and help satisfy your procurement needs!