University Funds and Non-Federal Sponsored Projects $250,000 and above

A purchase for services, supplies, and equipment for any item or group of similar items over $250,000 should be processed as a formal solicitation in the form of an Invitation to Bid (Bid) or Request for Proposals (RFP).

Sole-Source or non-competitive awards are procurements through the solicitation of a proposal from only one source.  If an award is to be made from a single quote or proposal at this dollar level, A Supplier Selection Memo must be completed.  

Sealed Bid(s)/RFP(s) shall be received until the date and time indicated in the document for the return of that Bid(s)/RFP(s). Any Bid(s)/RFP(s) received after the designated time shall neither be accepted nor considered for evaluation, recommendation and award. 

Once a request for Bid(s)/RFP(s) is released, the university is under a “cone of silence.” Individuals should not discuss the requirements of the solicitation or in any way offer additional information to suppliers outside of a formal addendum to the solicitation documents. If a supplier contacts a school/department directly, that potential supplier should be referred to the appropriate representative issuing the solicitation. No verbal or written information obtained other than by the Bid/RFP documents or by an addendum to the Bid/RFP is binding on the university. 

Unless otherwise noted in the Special Conditions section of a Bid/RFP, responses received to Bids/RFPs shall not be publicly opened. Bids/RFPs will then be evaluated, tabulated, and an award recommendation made. A supplier may not proceed with filling the requirement of the Bid/RFP until a contract has been executed or a Purchase Order released to the supplier.

Procurements of goods and services over $10,000,000 will be subject to the Major Procurement Review and Authorization policy. 

For further information on the formal solicitation process, please consult the Procurement Manual.