The Office of Procurement is the campus unit which has been designated the sole responsibility for the procurement of all commodities, supplies, equipment and services for the campus.
The Office of Procurement provides services to the campus community on all procurement matters and related activities to include (but not limited to) locating and developing sources of supply, developing and assisting departments in developing specifications, soliciting bids, quotations and proposals, negotiating contracts, and interacting with vendors.
Objectives:
- Procure goods and services to effect best value procurement from the most reasonable and responsible source, consistent with quality requirements and delivery needs as will best promote the interest of the University.
- Establish and administer contracts effectively
- Ensure University business is conducted in a fair and open environment in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations of the state
- Outline and communicate procurement policies and procedures to the University community
- Identify opportunities to enhance the University’s buying power
- Provide excellent customer service to the campus community in response to all procurement related inquiries
- Support the State of Maryland Small Business Reserve and Minority Business Enterprise programs
Departments are not authorized to sign any contracts, enter into any agreements, or make any commitments with regards to the procurement of goods and services which are binding to the University in any way; therefore, departments are requested to send such documents to the Office of Procurement for review and approval. Requestors may be held personally responsible for unauthorized purchases (purchases made without a legitimate purchase order, check request or VISA purchasing card prior to receiving items).
Request under $5,000 – Departments must use the Visa Purchasing Card (PCARD) for all requests. If the request falls under the State/UMES restriction category OR if a vendor does not accept the PCard, a KFS requisition must be initiated so a purchase order can be created and distributed to the vendor.
Requests exceeding $5,000 – Departments must initiate a KFS requisition to obtain a Purchase Order. If the vendor does not accept University Purchase Orders; a KFS Check request (disbursement voucher) must be initiated. Please refer to the standard Procurement policies and procedures for additional information under this dollar category.
