Procurement

In this section

The Procurement Department of the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) is available to serve the needs of faculty and staff requiring procurement of goods in order to operate their respective department or college.

The Procurement Department is located in the North Office Annex II. Contact us by phone at 281-283-2150 or fax at 281-283-2156. The Procurement Department is charged with the sole responsibility of performing the procurement function. It must do so in compliance with all written standard procedures for the implementation of:

Texas Government Code, Title 10, Subtitle D, Chapters 2151-2176.
Statewide Procurement Division Rulebook 1 TAC 111 through 126.
The rules and regulations of University of Houston-Clear Lake, University of Houston System, and outside agencies which fund specific programs.

The goal of our department is to achieve the best value in quality, delivery and cost for the purchase.

Plan for Procurement Needs

We cannot emphasize enough the need for departments to plan their supply and equipment needs well in advance. The time required to issue a purchase order and secure delivery of the goods or services requested varies greatly. Some purchases require solicitation of bids, which requires additional time. Also, any purchases $25,000 and up must be placed on the Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD) for a minimum of 14 days. The workload at any given time within the Procurement Department is also a factor.

You are encouraged to review the current Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) directory available online and contact vendors to request product and service information, current prices, availability and delivery terms. After pulling up the web page, type in the vendor's name in the appropriate box and click Submit Search. At the next screen click Go, and a list of vendors will appear on the screen. Click on a vendor name and the vendor information will appear. Be sure to give identical information to all vendors, so that each has an equal opportunity to compete. Do not place an order with a vendor. Only the Procurement Department can legally obligate the university.

Allow time for the procurement process, which may include competitive bidding. Competitive bidding is a requirement of the State and is a recognized and accepted means of insuring effective competition among vendors. Delivery will depend upon the supplier's stock and the problems they may encounter in securing delivery from their suppliers, as well as production problems.

It is the responsibility of the Procurement Department to originate, control, and analyze vendor bids and quotations. The requisitioning department is responsible for defining quantity, quality, specifications, delivery date requirements, and all other pertinent information. The requisitioning department should also suggest sources, when known, especially for unusual or unique items. The requisitioner may be called upon to assist the buyer in evaluating the bids received relative to a purchase for the department.

Purchasing Fund Guidelines

Funding sources are one of the most important factors determining how money can be spent and what procedures must be followed.

State Funds - Ledger 1

Texas Industries for Blind & Handicapped (TIBH) must be given first consideration. TIBH catalog is available in the Procurement Department or on-line. State contracts must be reviewed and utilized whenever possible. On many items, state contracts can save a substantial amount of money.

The specific policy relative to monetary limits will be:

$0 - $15,000 Departments will be required to recommend a vendor for the item(s) to be purchased. The Procurement Department has the option of placing the order directly to the suggested source without solicitation of bids from other vendors.

$15,001 - $25,000 Departments will be required to recommend a vendor for the item(s) to be purchased. The Procurement Department must solicit bids from a minimum of three active vendors on the CMBL, two of which must be current Texas-certified HUBs.

$25,001 > Departments will be required to recommend a vendor for the item(s) to be purchased. The Procurement Department must solicit bids from a minimum of three active vendors on the CMBL, two of which must be current Texas-certified HUBs. The bid will be posted to the Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD) for a minimum of 14 days. Emergency purchases may be posted for less than 14 days.

Local Funds - Ledgers 2-4

On-Campus Vendors: If an item or service is available through an on-campus vendor, i.e., Print Shop, UHCL Copy Services, Facilities Management and Construction (FMC), Office of Information Technology (OIT), you must purchase it from the UHCL source.

Purchase Order: If an item is not available from an on-campus vendor, the specific policy relative to monetary limits will be:

$0 - $5,000 Departments have the option to submit a requisition, pay on a voucher, or use a p-card (in accordance with purchasing guidelines). Departments must order directly from vendor and submit a payment voucher directly to Accounts Payable or pay using a p-card. An original vendor invoice is required as backup documentation. Verification that the tax status of a vendor was checked prior to purchase must be included in p-card documentation for purchases over $500. For some purchases, pre-approvals must be obtained and included with the backup documentation. The Procurement Department has the option of placing the order directly to the suggested source without solicitation of bids from other vendors.

$5,001 - $15,000 Departments are required to recommend a vendor for the item(s) to be purchased. Departments will submit a requisition

$15,001 - $25,000 Departments are required to recommend a vendor for the item(s) to be purchased. The Procurement Department must solicit bids from a minimum of three active vendors on the CMBL, two of which must be current Texas-certified HUBs.

$25,001 > Departments are required to recommend a vendor for the item(s) to be purchased. The Procurement Department must solicit bids from a minimum of three active vendors on the CMBL, two of which must be current Texas-certified HUBs. The bid will be posted to the Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD) for a minimum of 14 days. Emergency purchases may be posted for less than 14 days.

All computer related purchases must be approved by the Office of Information Technology (OIT).

Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) Funds - Ledger 5

The basic Procurement university policies involving the expenditure of OSP Funds (Ledger 5) are as follows:

To abide by the general procurement standards of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-110 and its applicable attachments in addition to University Procurement guidelines.
To provide free and open competition when and wherever possible.
To provide for sole source procurement
Approval of Office of Sponsored Programs is required.

The specific policy relative to monetary limits will be:

$0 - $500 Departments must order directly from vendor and submit a payment voucher directly to Accounts Payable or pay using a p-card. An original vendor invoice is required as backup documentation. For p-card purchases, an OSP pre-approval form must be obtained and included with the backup documentation.

$501 - $1000 Departments have the option to submit a requisition, pay on a voucher, or use a p-card. Verification that the tax status of a vendor was checked prior to purchase must be included in documentation.

$501 - $5,000 Departments are required to recommend a vendor for the item(s) to be purchased. The Procurement Department has the option of placing the order directly to the suggested source without solicitation of bids from other vendors.

$3,000 > Federal Funds Only Circular A-81 states that any purchases using federal funds must be bid at $3,000 and up. Federal cost centers contain a G1xxxxx or G5xxxxx in the project/grant field.

$5,001 - $25,000 Departments are required to recommend a vendor for the item(s) to be purchased. The Procurement Department will solicit a minimum of three (3) informal bids. A minimum of two (2) HUBs will be solicited for bids.

$25,001 > Departments will be required to recommend a vendor for the item(s) to be purchased. The Procurement Department will solicit a minimum of three (3) formal written bids. A minimum of two (2) HUBs will be solicited. The bid will be posted to the Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD) for a minimum of 14 days. Emergency purchases may be posted for less than 14 days.

No matter the method of payment we encourage the use of HUBs whenever possible per state requirements.

Bidders Protest Procedures - "Compact with Texans" is a posting of how a state agency handles problems and complaints.

The following has been submitted to the Statewide Procurement Division as a part of the University of Houston-Clear Lake's Procurement Plan:

The University of Houston-Clear Lake shall award to the vendor offering the best value proposal to the institution.
The University of Houston-Clear Lake conducts its procurement activities in accordance with all-relevant governmental statues and regulations, and in a matter that protects the interest of the university.
The Procurement Department is responsible for awarding contracts fairly. Vendors responding as bidders to either single-item purchase or term contracts may elect to file formal protest proceedings in the award of any contract that exceeds $5,000 within ten (10) business days of award. The Procurement Department must be able to justify its actions in the award.
The protest will be initially adjudicated by Procurement Department. If Procurement's decision is unacceptable to vendor, the protest may be filed with the Executive Director of Procurement and Payables or with the Vice President for Administration and Finance.