• All Purchases will require a completed online Department Purchase Request. Only one vendor is allowed per request. Please view our Purchasing System Quick Guide here.

• All Purchase Requests will require 24 hours to process once approvals are received and assuming that no follow-ups are required. New, foreign, and obscure vendors will cause a delay in the processing of your request. Please use established vendors whenever possible.

• If this is your first time completing a Purchase Request feel free to contact the department purchaser with any questions.

• Please note that all communication regarding purchase requests will be sent to your University (UID) e-mail address, including when your items arrive and can be picked up. UMail is the official means of communication for the University, please see the UMail Policy if you have any questions.

• Requests that are still pending with no PI approval after 2 weeks (14 days, including weekends) will be cancelled. Requesters are responsible for reminding their PIs to approve requests using the “Resend PI Request” option. Purchasing Staff will send one reminder to the PI and one e-mail to the requester before cancelling requests that have had no action on them for 2 weeks. After that, the requester will need to re-submit.

• All Purchase Requests must include:
  • Original invoice or quote if applicable. If the products cannot be purchased directly online via a shopping cart system, please have a quote prepared for you before you send in your request.
    • Ensuring that the quote is correct and accurate is the requestor’s responsibility. Your quote should not include any tax, and please confirm that the shipping and billing addresses are correct before submitting. The quote should only include items you intend to order, do not request that the Department Purchaser edit the quote. All quotes that require additional changes will be returned to the requestor for correction. 
  • Activity or project number – this may need to be provided by the Faculty Advisor if you do not know it.
  • Full course/team name and number if applicable.
  • Correct quantity and item numbers.
  • Full description of items or services being purchased.
  • Links to the products if applicable.
  • Necessary approvals – this will be provided by your Faculty Advisor after you submit your request.
  • If necessary, an adequate memo or reason of purchase will be required for unusual purchases.
  • All orders must be shipped to a University location and cannot be shipped to a personal address

Orders will not be placed until all required information has been provided.

Purchasing Goods/Services over $10,000
University Policy requires that purchases totaling over $10,000 be sent out to bid. These bids are sent to three or more known suppliers, for that we will need to have three different supplies and specifications for the goods/services. It is a violation of Utah law and University Policy 3-100 for a person to intentionally or knowingly divide a procurement into smaller procurements.

Use of Personal Funds

The University discourages the use of reimbursements for the purchase of goods and services. Reimbursements to individuals for the purchase of goods and services are subject to Policy 3-010 Expenditure and Reimbursement Requirements and any associated University Regulations. There are limitations to the use of personal funds to conduct University transactions. Sales tax will not be reimbursed in most situations.

Wire Transfers

• All wire transfers (international or domestic) require an invoice. If the invoice is proforma, it is also required that we provide an explanation as to why we are paying for goods or services before they are received as this is not generally how the University prefers to conduct business.
• Domestic wire transfers that are not required by contract OR less than $50k must be accompanied by a written explanation signed by Department Chair as to why ACH (direct deposit) or other payment methods are NOT possible. Documentation required includes: receipts, invoices, additional explanation and W9.

Purchasing Tips, Tricks, and Information

• All Purchases Totaling Over $10,000.00. University policy requires that purchases totaling over $10,000 (shipping included) be sent out to bid. These bids are sent to three or more known suppliers. For the bidding process, detailed specifications for the goods/services will need to be provided. If there is only one supplier, service provider, or contractor for the procurement item then use the sole source form.
  • This does NOT apply to our contracted UShop vendors, which are:
    • Grainger
    • CDW-G
    • Dell
    • HP
    • Fisher Scientific
    • Qiagen
    • Sigma-Aldrich
    • And more – contact the Department Purchaser for a full list.

• Shipping Considerations. The default shipping address for all orders is the Kennecott Building, RM 1550 (Admin Offices). If you are ordering a large item, it may be best to have the item delivered directly to its final destination (i.e. your lab space). This will require coordination with Central Receiving and/or Transportation as we cannot send freight companies directly to locations other than MEK due to coordination issues in unstaffed receiving areas. In the case of large item orders, it is helpful if you can arrange with Receiving and/or Transportation before submitting your order. Please make sure to notate when you submit your order if you would like it shipped somewhere other than MEK.

• Tax Exempt. The University is tax exempt, which means we cannot be charged sales tax on any purchase. This may cause a delay with new vendors as there is a process to set up accounts to be tax exempt. Please make sure you communicate to any vendors you interact with for quote purposes that we are tax exempt.

• Computer Purchases. We strongly encourage you to arrange your computer purchases through our IT Specialists, Matt Wright and/or Jason Smith (e-mail opers@eng.utah.edu). Send a list of your requirements or the build you would like and they can provide a quote that can be attached directly to the department Purchase Request form. They are also happy to provide recommendations for your particular needs. Computers purchased through our IT Specialists automatically come with a 3-year warranty that covers all shipping and repair costs if any issues arise, have a quicker delivery timeframe, and they also provide business-class computers versus consumer. Apple Computers can be purchased and picked up from the campus store. Again, our IT group is also happy to help you with your configuration.

• Purchase of Office Supplies Using Grant Funds. Per OSP policy 2.1.5 “federal sponsors do not allow general office supplies unless their use is above and beyond what would be provided through overhead and can be specifically justified for the project.” Unless significant supporting information can be provided by the requester showing that items considered office supplies are specifically justified for the project, an alternate funding source will need to be provided such as start-up funds or returned overhead.

• Fabricated Equipment. Equipment that is constructed by combining or assembling modular components and/or materials into one identifiable unit is referred to as fabricated equipment. When completed, each component loses its individual identity and the end product becomes an identifiable single unit. Typically, such equipment is made or designed in-house for a specific purpose. In order to be capitalized, the finished product must have a unit cost of $5,000.00 or more and a life expectancy of more than one year. Please make sure to note the asset # when you are purchasing items to be part of fabricated equipment. Also note that disposable items (such as fuses, light bulbs, etc.) or items used to construct the equipment (screwdrivers, drills, etc) that are not to become a permanent part of the asset should not be purchased under the fabricated equipment code. More info here.

• Software Purchases. Most software that students and faculty require should be available to purchase through the University Office of Software Licensing. If it is not available there, our IT group may be able to assist so please inquire before purchasing software on your own. For larger, institutional software purchases (such as those for a class or large group of students), the University has recently implemented additional requirements.

• New Vendors. When possible, try to order from already established vendors such as Amazon, VWR, Fisher, etc. Requesting products from new or obscure vendors will likely cause a delay because the account must be set up as tax-exempt and often there are other approvals necessary to be able to order. If you must request a new vendor, please expect a delay in your order.

• International Purchases. Due to newly implemented tariffs, international purchases will often incur an additional (and often very costly) tariff/customs charge. Please plan for additional charges whenever you are purchasing or shipping internationally.