UNCW Purchasing
Services is dedicated to conducting its business in accordance with
UNCW policies and State laws so that taxpayers receive full value
for their money. We endeavor to make our procedures conform to open,
ethical and sound purchasing practices. We welcome qualified vendors
and invite them to compete for the University's business.
PURCHASE
ORDERS
A purchase
order is a legal obligation to pay you for a product or service.
You should request a purchase order from an authorized purchasing
agent at the university before performing any job. ONLY
CHARGES SUPPORTED BY A UNIVERSITY PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER WILL BE
HONORED FOR PAYMENT.
SALES
CONTACTS
We realize that your time is valuable. To ensure
your time is not wasted, we encourage vendors to set up appointments.
All campus visits should be coordinated through Purchasing. Sales
representatives may visit the various departments for the sole purpose
of demonstrating equipment. Please do not leave goods on consignment
or attempt to sell directly to the departments. Only the Purchasing
Department has the authority to commit the University to a purchase,
and in most cases this must be done through competitive bidding.
DELIVERIES
Unless otherwise
specified, all goods are to be shipped prepaid FOB Destination.
Note ship-to information on the purchase order. In most cases, deliveries
will be made to Central Receiving. THE PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER MUST
BE VISIBLE ON OUTSIDE OF PACKAGES, SHIPPING TICKETS, AND PACKING
SLIPS TO ENSURE TIMELY DELIVERY TO THE DEPARTMENTS AND PROMPT AND
CORRECT PAYMENT TO YOU. The regular hours for receiving are 8:00
am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, but are subject to change
during summer session of classes. Please contact Central Receiving
at (910) 962-3181 if you have any questions about hours of operation.
There are exceptions when installation of product is involved. A
contact name is indicated on the purchase order to coordinate an
installation time convenient for both parties. The university does
not have facilities for storage. Those specified installations are
to be handled by the vendor.
INVOICES/PAYMENTS
THE ORIGINAL
AND ONE ADDITIONAL COPY OF ALL INVOICES MUST BE ADDRESSED TO ACCOUNTS
PAYABLE AND MUST REFLECT THE PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER.
We are unable
to pay from a statement, so invoice separately for each purchase.
Please do not send the invoice with the merchandise as it may be
mistakenly discarded or misplaced by the campus department receiving
the goods. Unless negotiated otherwise, your invoice payment terms
will be honored. Goods or services must be received prior to payment.
Inquiries
regarding payments should be directed to Accounts Payable at (910)
962-3076. Please reference purchase order number when making inquiries.
BIDDING
UNCW has
purchasing authority for most purchases under $200,000, and for
specially designated purchases. Contracts for the University are
awarded on the basis of best value to the University--price, quality
and other factors. Where price and other factors are identical (tie
bids), preference is given to North Carolina bidders and/or recycled
products.
VENDOR
REGISTRATION
To be notified
of business opportunities, visit NC's Vendor Link at www.ips.state.nc.us/ips/vendor/.
Once business is awarded, a UNCW vendor registration form may be
required.
INVITATION
FOR BID (IFB)
The Invitation
for Bid is generally used for pricing established, specified criteria
for equipment, materials and supplies over $25,000. Responses
must be in writing and must be delivered ''sealed" to
the Purchasing office.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)
A Request
for Proposal may be used in establishing contracts which seek creativity
or different ways of accomplishing a task.
REQUEST
FOR QUOATION (RFQ)
A Request
for Quote may be issued in the form of a telephone or faxed request,
or issued in a more formal, written request. The bid packet
will indicate whether a faxed response is acceptable for that particular
request. This method is normally used for items costing between
$5,000 and $25,000.
All forms
of competition (IFB, RFP and RFQ) are awarded on a number of criteria
and being the "low bidder" does not ensure the award of
a bid. The evaluation process takes into consideration price,
quality, adherence to specifications, delivery, service, warranty,
etc. Other factors used in evaluation consider the intended
use of the commodity or service required. The purpose of our
evaluation process is to determine the "best buy" for
the University.
it would
behoove agencies wishing to do business with UNCW, to check IPS
(Interactive Purchasing System) for available opportunities.
Awards are posted on IPS for 30 days.
CREDIT
CARD PURCHASES
For small
purchases, the use of a Purchasing Card is being made available
to campus departments. This Visa Card is to the vendor the
same as any other accepted credit card.
CONSTRUCTION
Construction
procurement thresholds differ from that stated above. Informal
contracts under $300,000, may waive formal competition. $300,000
- $2,000,000 opportunities will follow formal processes.
STATE
TERM CONTRACTS
In an effort
to reduce costs statewide for frequently purchased items, the State
Division of Purchase and Contract competitively awards contracts
to cover designated state agencies for a period of one or more years.
UNCW is obligated to purchase items specified from the appropriate
State Term Contract vendors.
RECYCLING
AND SOURCE REDUCTION
It is the
policy of this University to encourage and promote the purchase
of products with recycled content to the extent economically practical,
and to purchase items that are reusable, refillable, repairable,
more durable, and less toxic to the extent that the purchase or
use is feasible and cost-effective.
We also encourage
and promote using minimal packaging and the use of recycled/recyclable
products in the packaging of commodities purchased. However,
no sacrifice in quality of packaging will be acceptable. The
company remains responsible for providing packaging that will protect
the commodity and contain it for its intended use.
Companies
are strongly urged to bring to the attention of the purchasers in
Purchasing Services those products or packaging they offer which
have recycled content and that are recyclable.
GIFTS
OR FAVORS FROM VENDORS
North Carolina
General Statute 133-32 addresses the legal implications of State
Employees accepting gifts or favors from vendors. Briefly
summarized, this statute states that it is unlawful for any vendor
to give gifts or favors to any employee of a governmental agency
who is charged with preparing plans, specifications, or estimates
for public contracts, awarding or administering such contracts,
or inspecting or supervising construction.
EEO/AA
UNCW is committed
to the principles of Affirmative Action and shall endeavor to apply
these principles in its purchasing process. UNCW does not
discriminate against applicants, students, employees, or suppliers
bases on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability,
political affiliation, or sexual orientation. The university
actively promotes increases special interest group participation
in procurement practices. Let us know if you are interested
in hearing about our goals and efforts related to this area.
UNCW is actively
seeking HUB participation. HUB vendors are strongly encouraged
to register on Vendor Link NC: www.ips.state.nc.us/ips/vendor/
under the subheading "Vendor Registration and HUB Verification
Process." If you are a HUB vendor doing business regularly
with UNCW, please verify recorded status.
MISSION
STATEMENT
The Department
of Purchasing Services' mission is to provide direct support to
the educational mission of the university by assisting departments
in obtaining products and services of a high quality, at the lowest
cost, and in the time needed. Purchasing achieves this mission
by processing and expediting orders in an efficient manner and within
the constraints of state purchasing requirements, UNCW policies,
and the highest ethical standards. Meeting the needs of the
university community is the focus of Purchasing Services' efforts.
We appreciate
your interest and cooperation in a joint effort to support the educational
mission of UNCW. A commitment to quality requires the best
communication practices. Please don't hesitate to call us
if you have any inquiries or concerns.
Mary E. Forsythe, C.P.M.
Director of Purchasing Services
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