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University Procurement Thresholds
As a buyer for the University there are a variety of policies, procedures and forms that you should familiarise yourself with and refer to when purchasing. Please visit our policies page for more information.
Before you buy consider...
- Does the University have a contract in place? Please always check the contracts webpage first for advice, as contracts can regularly change.
- Do I need to buy it or can I hire it from somewhere?
- Booking travel should be done through the travel pages.
If you still need to buy something, please consider the following:
- Where the funding for this budget has come from.
- This is important because grant funding conditions will often stipulate the required procurement process that must be followed. These processes can differ from the University’s usual procurement routes to market. If you are looking to procure against a grant, please talk to your post-award research team to determine the procurement process you must follow. If you require further assistance with undertaking these processes, please contact procurement@exeter.ac.uk
- For purchases fully funded by UoE, the below table shows you how to buy. This value should include any aggregated spend and/or Whole life costing (WLC). See Procurement policies and procedures.
| Spend threshold (Excl. VAT) | Procedure | Indicative Timescale* | Procurement systems** | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £2,499 (Excl. VAT) | Spot purchase: Minimum 1 quotation, but the requisitioner should be confident that they are getting good value. | Less than 1 week |
2. T1 ad-hoc |
End user can purchase without procurement support |
*The indicative timetable is minimum period that should be allowed for the procurement process from start to finish i.e. from identifying need for goods/services/works to settlement of supplier's final invoice [unless a payment retention is included within the UoE's contract with the supplier].
** End user should always look for products on Advanced E-Marketplace first and then T1 ad-hoc access to information on the system is available here.
*** Purchase cards should only be used for one-off purchases. Find out more.
| Spend threshold (Excl. VAT) | Procedure | Indicative Timescale* | Procurement systems** | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £2,500 - £10,000 (Excl. VAT) | Request for Quotation [verbal]: Minimum of 3 oral quotations is required (record the supplier names, values and dates for audit) | Less than 1 week |
2. T1 ad-hoc |
End user to complete the "Purchase Request" form in T1 forms. Please complete the form as early in the process as possible so Procurement Operations can add maximum value and ensure all processes are completed. |
*The indicative timetable is minimum period that should be allowed for the procurement process from start to finish i.e. from identifying need for goods/services/works to settlement of supplier's final invoice [unless a payment retention is included within the UoE's contract with the supplier].
** End user should always look for products on Advanced E-Marketplace first and then T1 ad-hoc access to information on the system is available here.
| Spend threshold (Excl. VAT) | Procedure | Indicative Timescale* | Procurement systems** | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £10,001 - £49,999 (Excl. VAT) | Request for Quotation [written]: Minimum of 3 written competitive quotations are needed. (Keep the quotations for audit.) | Up to 10 working days from the form being received |
2. T1 ad-hoc |
End user to use the "Purchase Request" form in T1 forms. Form will be processed by Procurement Operations. Please use the form as early in the Procurement Process as possible.
Please contact Procurement-Operations@Exeter.ac.uk who will guide you through the processes |
*The indicative timetable is minimum period that should be allowed for the procurement process from start to finish i.e. from identifying need for goods/services/works to settlement of supplier's final invoice [unless a payment retention is included within the UoE's contract with the supplier].
** End user should always look for products on Advanced E-Marketplace first and then T1 ad-hoc access to information on the system is available here.
| Spend threshold | Procedure | Indicative Timescale* | Procurement systems | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £50,000 - ££179,086 Excl. VAT (£214,904 Incl. VAT) | Invitation to Tender: Invite tenders from interested suppliers. Advertise nationally. Aim for at least 3 competitive tenders. | 2 months |
1. T1 ad-hoc
|
Procurement support required please contact procurement@exeter.ac.uk |
*The indicative timetable is minimum period that should be allowed for the procurement process from start to finish i.e. from identifying need for goods/services/works to settlement of supplier's final invoice [unless a payment retention is included within the UoE's contract with the supplier].
| Spend threshold | Procedure | Indicative Timescale* | Procurement systems | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equal to, or above £179,086 Excl. VAT (£214,904 Incl. VAT) | EU Invitation to Tender: Sufficient number of invitations to tender must be issued to ensure a minimum of 3 written competitive bids are received (keep the tenders for audit). It is important that the guidance stated above is complied with. Contact Procurement Services for advice & support. | 4 months |
1. T1 ad-hoc
|
Procurement support required please contact procurement@exeter.ac.uk |
*The indicative timetable is minimum period that should be allowed for the procurement process from start to finish i.e. from identifying need for goods/services/works to settlement of supplier's final invoice [unless a payment retention is included within the UoE's contract with the supplier].
Responsible Procurement should be taken into consideration for all purchases. The University has access to the HEPA training courses on Intro to sustainable procurement (duration 2 hours) and Advanced sustainable procurement (duration 1 hour).
- Registration instructions: Please register via the BUFDG website registration page please select other under job title if no job title fits your role. Once registered please use the above links to access the relevant course. This is an accredited training course and you will be certified on completion of each course.
Our Purchasing policies and procedures web page can answer most questions however, if you have a bespoke question please contact the relevant team below:
- Spend below £50,000 and Advanced is supported by the Procurement Operations Team.
- Category management and spend above £50,000 is supported by the Procurement Strategic Team.