Competitive Exemptions for Goods and Services

The following procurements are exempt from competitive source selection and may be paid via a Payment Request Form through University Payables directly or by a P-Card. Purchase Orders are not required for payment but may be used if so desired by the requisitioner.

Federal procurements that are subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) greater than $10,000 and Uniform Guidance (UG) greater than $10,000 are NEVER allowed to be paid via a direct payment request, even if the good or service is listed below as exempt from the competitive procurement process. In the case where compliance with the FAR or UG is required by the Sponsor, please contact Procurement for available contracting options.

1. Animals and plants for laboratory and research use (exempt from competition, but must only be procured by the Animal Research Facility Staff)
2. Medical services for research projects
3. Publication of scholarly papers in specific professional journals
4. Payments to or on behalf of university officers and employees for salaries, fringe benefits, professional fees, or reimbursements
5. Payment of obligations that the university is required to pay by law, including paying fees, permanent settlements, subsidies, or other claims, making refunds, and returning funds held by the university as trustee, or custodian
6. Services of expert witnesses for potential and actual litigation of legal matters involving the university or its officers and employees, including administrative quasi-judicial proceedings
7. Services of attorneys employed or retained to advise, represent, or provide other legal service to the university, on matters arising under the laws of another state or foreign country, or in an action brought in another state, federal, or foreign jurisdiction, when substantially all legal services are expected to be performed outside the District of Columbia.
8. Arbitrator and mediator services
9. Court reporter services
10. Services of printers, rating agencies, support facility providers, fiscal and paying agents, and registrars related to the issuance and sale of the University's bonds
11. Insurance or insurance broker services
12. Payment of dues or fees of organizations of which the University or its officers and employees are members as provided in these procedures
13. Subscriptions
14. Registration or workshop fees for conferences and training
15. Renewal of software maintenance agreements and subscription licenses
16. Disbursement of funds to governmental bodies
17. Disbursement of funds as loans, under loan programs administered by the university
18. Services for the recruitment of international students
19. Services for the publication of scholarly and educational books and journals which include but are not limited to: a) Manuscript evaluation, copy editing, proof reading, indexing, design, manuscript clean-up, page make-up, and typesetting of scholarly journals and educational books; b) Design, production, and printing of promotional materials, and commission sales representation for scholarly journals and educational books; c) Warehouse storage and fulfillment services, and d) Editorial and production services for scholarly and educational books and journals, including printing and binding, when full production services are required for projects too difficult or too time consuming to produce in-house
20. Procurement of goods, services, or construction from a governmental body; from the federal government, or from a state or its political subdivisions, to include public institutions of higher education
21. Works of art for museum or public display
22. Library books, periodicals, subscriptions, educational databases, and other related library materials, purchased by the Library or on behalf of the Library
23. Performances, including entertainment, speeches, and cultural and artistic presentations, settlement fees resulting from ticket sales
24. Goods and services for commercial resale by the university or it's affiliates
25. Services of lecturers, speakers, trainers, facilitators and scriptwriters when the provider possesses specialized training methods, techniques or expertise in the subject matter.
    25a. Honorariums are gifts, and are paid when no compensation is expected. For honorarium payments for any of the above services, follow the honorarium's instructions here. Please note, if you have an invoice, it is definitely a contracted service that needs a purchase order. Also, a PO is required for payments made to the individual/recipient's firm.  
26. Upon a written determination by the Director of Procurement that the purchase of goods, products or commodities from a public auction sale, bankruptcy, or foreclosure is in the best interest of the university
27. Food and fodder for animals
28. Facility service costs for conferences, meetings, and training sessions when the use of such services is mandated by the venue’s existing contracts; (i.e. caterers and AV contractors designated by the venue)
29. Affiliation agreements with educational institutions, hospitals and other healthcare providers required for The George Washington University educational programs
30. Advertisements in specialized publications, such as in ethnic or foreign language publications, trade publications, or professional publications
31. Translation/Interpreter services
32. Advertising on radio and television airtime, print or other media where selection is to be made by current audience/reader demographics
33. Materials, supplies, and foodstuffs purchased for use by students in instructional programs when the type or amount required must be determined as part of the course curriculum
34. Purchases made under cooperative purchasing agreements in which the University participates with other institutions, not-for-profit purchasing cooperatives, and/or other governmental purchasing jurisdictions
35. Payments of tuition on behalf of GW students to other Universities, Institutions, and Instructional Platforms
36. Rental of booth space for exhibits at conventions and trade shows when organized by a single sponsor
37. Opponents for athletic contests
38. Medical services for injured student athletes. These services include but are not limited to: a) Treatment by out-of-state medical health professionals when student athletes are taking part in out-of-state athletic contests or events; b) Treatment for a difficult to diagnose and or longstanding medical condition by a series of medical health professionals by referrals; c) Treatment by a physician with the student athlete is referred by the team physician or by any one of the volunteer physicians; d) In-patient or out-patient surgical services performed by a physician assigned to an athlete by a hospital; and e) Treatment by a family physician as requested by a student athlete
39. Referees and officials for athletic contests
40. Utility services whose rates or prices are fixed by regulatory processes or agencies
41. Procurement of repair services when dismantling is required to assess the extent of repairs
42. Executive Search Firms and Recruiters used by the University for specialized hiring.