Purchasing
Single Source
Single Source - If an item or service is determined by Purchasing to be non-competitive in nature and is available from only one vendor, a Purchase Order may be issued for that item.
The purchase should be justified through the use of the Single Source Certificate form. The justification should include the following:
- The service/commodity and its intended use,
- The reasons the item is not subject to competition from other sources,
- The necessity for purchase, and
- Why only this service/commodity has unique features or qualities that will accomplish the required needs of the requestor.
- Why this provider is the only one who can provide a service or commodity in a needed time frame.* (departments are responsible to plan accordingly)
Justifications written by the supplier will not be accepted, and under no circumstance is cost an acceptable justification of single source. Submission of justification is no guarantee that the single source will be accepted by Procurement.
If the cost is $150,000 or greater, the Single Source Certificate must be approved and executed prior to a Purchase Order being issued. Each request must contain information as to the single source nature of the purchase. The Single Source certificate must be publicly posted 72 hours prior to issuance of a purchase order greater than or equal to $75,000.