Purchasing Fundamentals
As a State of Georgia entity, UGA’s procurements must comply with the provisions of
the State Purchasing Act (non-Public Works) as well as Board of Regents and UGA policy
(all procurements).
To help ensure we comply with the State Purchasing Act, please consider the following prior to making your purchase:
- Any purchases worth more than $25,000 will typically require some form of action from
UGA’s Procurement department (Examples: competitive bid, public posting, terms review, etc.).
Purchases involving Federal funds may carry a lower bid threshold. - Any required public postings will need to meet minimum legal posting periods.
These minimum posting periods vary by posting type but are typically 3 to 15 days. - Most Procurements will require a review of terms and conditions.
Please do not sign supplier quotes, order forms or contract documents before submitting to UGA Procurement for review.
UGA’s Public Works related procurements (Examples: construction, renovation, facility improvements, etc.) must comply with Board of Regent policies and should follow the same rules noted above with the following exceptions:
- Any purchases worth more than $50,000 will typically require some form of action from
UGA’s Procurement department (Examples: competitive bid, public posting, terms review,
etc.). Purchases involving Federal funds may carry a lower bid threshold.
- Minimum public posting requirements may vary between 3 to 30+ days.
- With few exceptions, the Facilities Management Division or the Office of University Architects should be consulted on all public works purchases prior to engaging UGA Procurement.
- The State Purchasing Department (SPD) has established mandatory sources of supply
for a variety of goods and services. UGA must use these sources or seek a special
approval from SPD prior to using a different source.
- Use UGAmart when possible to shop and make purchases. UGAmart contains product information
from both catalog and non-catalog suppliers as well as information on mandatory State
contracts.
If you have questions, you can reach out to your UGA Procurement Point of Contact or send an email to procure@uga.edu.
There are five (5) ways to make a purchase at UGA. The Purchase Request (UGAmart requisition) must be used for all purchases that are
not allowable under one of the other purchasing methods.
|
5 Methods of Purchase |
Restriction on Transaction Size? |
Restriction on Items Purchased? |
Other |
|
Purchase Request (UGAmart Requisition) |
Can be issued for any transaction amount (subject to budget check) |
Limited |
Cannot be used after goods or services have been rendered |
|
Payment Request |
Less than $2,500 (some exceptions apply) |
Yes |
Can be used after goods/services have been rendered (subject to transaction limit) |
|
PCard |
Subject to Cardholders transaction limit (typically $2,500 or less) |
Yes |
Used at point of sale but may require pre-approval of select transactions |
|
Employee Reimbursement |
Less than $2,500 |
Yes |
Only used when above methods not available |
|
Petty Cash |
Less than $2,500 |
Limited |
Only used when above methods not available |
Regardless of the purchase method selected, all procurements must support a clear
business purpose that benefits the university. Whether you are assisting a faculty
member with an expense report, pre-approving a PCard transaction, submitting a payment
request or preparing a UGAmart requisition; you should always ensure that each transaction
complies with State, Board of Regents and UGA procurement policies and demonstrates
effective stewardship of university resources.
If you are not sure about a given transaction, you should consult with members of
your business office, your expense manager or members of UGA Procurement before proceeding with the transaction.
Please know that our team is here to support you if you have any questions about the
above or any other purchasing questions.