To purchase items with Federal funds the Department/Principal Investigator (PI) should:
· Submit a requisition (REQ) to request the needed equipment, goods, or service
· Provide detail specifications, scope of work for services and copy of quote or proposal
· Be prepared to meet with the buyer to explain or clarify the details as necessary
· Request only items necessary and specifically identified in the grant/sponsored account approval
Sponsored Program Administration (SPA)
· Upon approval of a federal grant, insure proper budgets and project numbers are established and entered into the financial system
· Insure the PI is aware of the spending restrictions on the grant funds
· Approve requisitions prior to the purchasing process to avoid the purchase of unnecessary or unauthorized items
Purchasing
Upon receipt of a properly approved requisition (REQ), initiate “best practices” purchasing procedures in accordance with Federal Purchasing guidelines to include as appropriate:
· Validate Sole Source justification
· Use of competition in the selection process, where appropriate
· Perform a cost/price analysis
· When purchasing equipment consider new vs. use/lease vs. purchase and associated expenses, to include a total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis
· Review analysis results and recommendations with the department/PI
· Maintain documentation of the complete purchasing process
· Review the results with the department/PI prior to award
· Make the purchase based on what is most economical/practical and/or the best value