Purchasing

Policy Number: 7.7
Effective Date: May 2, 2023
Revision History: Reviewed May 26, 2016
Policy Contact: Director of Purchasing

I. Purpose and Policy Statement

As a unit of the University System of Georgia, Georgia Gwinnett College is subject to the purchasing policies established by the USG and its Board of Regents, the rules and regulations administered by the State Purchasing Division within the Georgia Department of Administrative Services (“DOAS”), and the statutes within the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (“O.C.G.A.”). These rules and regulations have been developed to promote equal access and competition among vendors to ensure that best value, high-quality goods and services are available to state and local governments. This policy establishes GGC specific policies for purchasing and is designed to be interpreted in connection with BOR Policy Manual 7.7 Purchasing and Contracting Regulations and BOR Business Procedures Manual Section 3 on Purchasing & Contracts.   

II. Scope

All GGC employees are responsible for understanding and complying with this policy. Unauthorized purchases are improper and illegal, and the purchaser or the department may be held responsible for the incurred charges.

III. Roles and Responsibilities

The Purchasing Office is the official purchasing agent for Georgia Gwinnett College. It is responsible for issuing orders for materials and services in compliance with State and Federal laws under the guidelines imposed by the Department of Administrative Services State Purchasing Division, The Georgia Technology Authority and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

IV. Purchasing Methods and Procedures

1. Georgia Gwinnett College has a Delegated Purchasing Authority (“DPA”) of $1,000,000 on Requests for Proposals and an unlimited dollar amount on Request for Quotes. All procurements above GGC’s DPA are required to be submitted through DOAS.

2. Procurement by Purchase Order.

   1. A GGC department initiates procurement by purchase order (“PO”) in PeopleSoft eProcurement/GeorgiaFirst module or by completing the Request for Supplies and Services form (referred to as a Requisition). Completing a Request for Supplies and Services is the manual method by which a department’s requirements are requested and funds encumbered for that particular requirement. The Request for Supplies and Services form provides the required information to allow the Purchasing Office to determine how to procure the supplies or services requested. It captures critical information such as department, type of purchase, account numbers to be charged, specific item information, recommended vendor, and estimated cost.

   2. There are situations where corrections must be made to a previously issued purchase order. Generally, the purchase order must be corrected when:

      1. Price increases or decreases by more than $500.00 per line item;

      2. A purchase order must be cancelled;

      3. Items are added or deleted; and/or,

      4. The correction is required to resolve significant differences between orders and invoices.

   3. Submitting the Request for Supplies and Services form does not complete the purchasing process or immediately result in the submitter having official authorization to complete the purchase. The Purchasing Office must competitively bid the requirement, if necessary, and issue an official Georgia Gwinnett College Purchase Order.

3. Competitive Procurements. Request for Supplies and Services Over $25,000 - Unless otherwise exempt, these items must be competitively bid and require completion of specific documents. There are two basic forms of competitive procurement, Request for Quote (“RFQ”) and Request for Proposal (“RFP”). For all bids above $25,000 DOAS requires posting to the Georgia Procurement Registry.

   1. Request for Quotation (“RFQ”): A RFQ is a formal solicitation method that includes a well-defined specification or scope of work and contains all contractual terms and conditions. The RFQ solicits sealed price quotations or bids from prospective vendors and seeks to obtain price quotes from qualified vendors using the lowest quote as the determining factor for awarding the contract. RFQs should be used if the project lends itself to the creation of a clear and accurate Statement of Work and the objective of the solicitation is to identify a vendor who can provide the required specifications at the lowest possible cost.

   2. Request for Proposal (“RFP”): A RFP is a formal solicitation method that seeks to leverage the creativity and knowledge of business organizations to solve a unique problem. The RFP solicits sealed price proposals from prospective vendors and seeks to obtain the “best value” for the state. The RFP method does not use the cost of the project as the single determining factor, but rather uses a combination of lowest cost plus best proposed solution to determine the award. Points are provided to technical and financial proposals submitted. Contract awards are based on the highest points received by submitted proposals. Committees are established to score the technical portion of the RFP. The Purchasing Office will score the financial portion of the RFP. RFPs should be used if the project does not lend itself to the creation of a clear and accurate Statement of Work and the objective of the solicitation is to identify a vendor who can offer the best possible solution to your problem at the most reasonable cost.

4. Office Supplies from the statewide contract using the Purchasing Card. Office supplies should be ordered from the current statewide contract. The department Purchasing Card is recommended to be used for all supply orders.

5. Procurement by Purchasing Card. Georgia Gwinnett College has a separate policy that outlines guidelines related to Procurement by Purchasing Card.  Please see section 7.7.2.2, “Purchasing Card Program” to assess the college’s policies related to this program.

6. Purchases Made Under Contracts, Grants, and Agreements.

   1. All purchases under contracts, grants, or agreements are subject to State of Georgia and Federal Purchasing Regulations, to Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia policies, and to Georgia Gwinnett College policies.

   2. Expenditures for obligations incurred under contracts, grants, or agreements cannot be made for purposes other than those for which State funds can be expended, unless an exceptional type of expenditure is specifically authorized and stated by the donor or grantor as a requirement of the contract, grant, or agreement.

V. Order of Precedence and Minority Suppliers

1. The State through DOAS maintains an order of precedence for the source used for the purchasing of items and services. The Order of Precedence is shown in the Georgia Procurement Manual as follows:

   1. Tier 1 - Mandatory Statewide Contracts

   2. Tier 2 - Existing State Entity Contracts

   3. Tier 3 - Statutory Sources of Supply Designated as Mandatory from Georgia Correctional Industries or Georgia Enterprises for Products and Services.

   4. Tier 4 - Choice of, among others, Convenience Statewide Contracts or Open Market Purchases

2. Minority Suppliers. State policy encourages the use of Minority and Small Business suppliers whenever possible.

VI. Policies Applicable to Specific Agreement and Purchase Types

1. Service Maintenance Agreements

   1. Each department is responsible for requesting maintenance agreements for its equipment. Requests should be forwarded to the Purchasing Office at least sixty (60) days prior to expiration of the current maintenance agreement.

   2. Maintenance agreements at Georgia Gwinnett College run for a one-year period. Maintenance agreements are not automatically renewable.

2. Vehicle Purchases. College vehicles must be purchased from State Contracts and require pre-approval by the Board of Regents, Office of Planning and Budget (“OPB”), and DOAS Fleet Management. Contact the Agency Procurement Officer (“APO”) and or buyer for details on the most current contracts and regulations.

3. Furniture Purchase. Departments should utilize existing State contracts for the purchase of furniture.

VII. Signature Requirements

All documents that require signature must be reviewed in advance of being signed. Only authorized signatories may sign. The signing of un-reviewed documents or the signing of any documents by an unauthorized person could make that individual personally liable for the obligations created.

VIII. Related Regulations, Statutes, Policies, and Procedures

Georgia Procurement Manual