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General Purchasing Procedures & Policies

Confirming orders are a violation of CUNY’s procurement policy.  A confirming order is an order placed by an end user (requester) without following the standard procurement cycle which begins with the creation of a CUNYfirst Requisition and the issuance of Purchase Order by the Purchasing Office.

In the case of an emergency, please contact the Purchasing Office immediately. Pre-approval from CUNY Central Office is required to streamline the procurement cycle. Casual planning does not constitute an emergency.

The procurement process originates when an approved Requisition is submitted into the CUNYfirst System. Senior administrators are responsible for approving requisitions for the purchase of supplies, equipment and services necessary to support academic and administrative operations.  Only the Purchasing Office is authorized to issue orders and enter into contracts and agreements with prospective vendors.  To receive guidance and support, please contact purchasing@csi.cuny.edu, or alternatively by phone at 718.982.2450 or by fax at 718.982.2456.

A.  Advance Approvals

Before preparing your requisition, please contact the appropriate offices below to receive technical guidance and approval for the proposed purchase to move forward.

DESCRIPTION OFFICE EXTENSION
Audio Visual Office of Info Tech 2210
Catering Services Auxiliary Services  3035
Computer Equipment/Software Office Info Tech 2210
Door Locks Public Safety 2212
Fax Machines, Handheld Devices Telecommunications 5205
Heavy/Large Equipment Buildings & Grounds 3210
Mailings Operational Services 3224
Photocopiers Operational Services 3224
Printing Publications  2266
Renovations/Furniture Campus Planning 3219

B.  General Dollar Thresholds and Requirements

Purchase Dollar Threshold Requirements (OTPS Tax-Levy Funds)

The Purchasing Office will determine whether the goods or service can be obtained through a Preferred Source (i.e., NYS Preferred Source Program for People Who Are Blind (NYSPSP), NYS Industries for the Disabled (NYSID), NYS Department of Correctional Services Division of Industries (CORCRAFT)) or an existing contract (i.e., NYS Office of General Services (OGS), NYC Department of Administrative Services (NYCDCAS), Federal General Services Administration (GSA), and/or Department of Education (DOE)) before exercising the below competitive solicitation process.

Dollar Range Requirements Average Time from Requisition to PO
Up to $19,999 Informal Purchase: Telephone Quotations will be emailed to at least five (5) prospective bidders, who must submit their quote via email or fax to the Purchasing Office by a specified date and time. 1 - 3 weeks
$20,000 - $100,000 Informal Purchase: Request for Quotation (RFQ) for purchases of good/services or combination of goods/services. Also, may be used as a method of procurement for purchases from State-certified Minority/Women-Owned Businesses (MWBE) that have a value up to $200,000. RFQ’s will be emailed to a minimum of five (5) prospective bidders who must submit their authorized quote via mail, hand delivery, email or fax by the RFQ Response Deadline. Advertisement (min. 15 business days) is required for purchases $50,000 and above in NYS Contract Reporter. Review and approval may also be required by CUNY’s Office of General Counsel (OGC). 2 – 6 weeks
$100,000 & Above Formal Purchase: Invitation for Bids (IFB) or Request months for Proposal (RFP). Advertisement in NYS Contract Reporter is required. Review and approval is required by CUNY’s Office of General Counsel.  Moreover, purchases of $500,000 require submission of a Board Resolution for approval by the CUNY Board of Trustees, NYS Office of the Comptroller and NYS Attorney General. 3 – 6 months

For the purchase of specific types of goods/services, please see below.

C.  HONORARIA

To begin the process for honoraria, please create a Requisition in CUNYfirst entering a “Dummy Vendor” consisting of “9999999999” as the vendor/payee if the vendor/payee is not already in CUNYfirst. Complete the Honorarium Payment Request Form and upload it to the requisition as an attachment.  If the services will be performed as part of an event, please attach an event program, flier, or agenda describing the purpose of the event, and a sign-in sheet.  Please provide (in the comments section of the requisition):

  • Full Name
  • Street Address
  • Phone Number
  • E-mail Address
  • A description of the specific services to be provided, including duration of service(s), dates of service(s) will be provided, and pricing structure.

Please indicate whether or not the vendor/payee is currently a student/employee.

Upon receipt of this information, the College will contact the guest speaker (or representative/agency) to begin the Vendor Payee Registration process which is required to issue a purchase order.  The registration process can take up to two (2) weeks provided that all required forms are completed correctly.  Please note that this registration must be completed prior to the rendering of services.

D.  INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AGREEMENTS (ICA)

Engaging a consultant is handled just like other purchases of services; Purchasing is required to follow all procurement procedures for the procurement of consultant services.  End Users must provide substantive reasons why a specific consultant is being identified for certain services, and the Purchasing Office must determine from the information it receives from the end user that a single source or sole source procurement method is appropriate in a given circumstance.  In addition, reasonableness of prices is always a consideration. To begin the Independent Contractor Agreement process, please create a Requisition in CUNYfirst entering a “Dummy Vendor” as the vendor/payee if the vendor/payee is not already in CUNYfirst.  If the services will be performed as part of an event, please attach an event program, flier, or agenda describing the purpose of the event, and a sign-in sheet.  Please provide (in the comments section of the requisition):

  • Full Name
  • Street Address
  • Phone Number
  • E-mail Address
  • A description of the specific services to be provided, including duration of service(s), dates of service(s) will be provided, and pricing structure.

Please indicate whether or not the vendor/payee is currently a student/employee.

As soon as this information is received, the college's vendor liaisons will contact the vendor/payee to begin the Vendor Payee Registration process which is required to issue a Purchase Order. The registration process may take up to two weeks provided that all required forms are completed correctly. Please note that this registration must be completed prior tothe rendering of services.

Following registration process, four copies of the Independent Contractor Agreement shall be sent to the vendor/payee for completion and notarization.

A Purchase Order is created once the Independent Contractor Agreement has been completed by the vendor/payee and returned to the Purchasing Office.  An executed copy of the Independent Contractor Agreement will be sent to the vendor/payee along with a copy of the Purchase Order and instructions for beginning the payment process.

E.  Procurement Record (Justification) for Single Source and Sole Source Purchases

A "sole source" procurement, as defined by New York State law, is one in which only one vendor can supply the product or service required.

A "single source" purchase, as defined by New York State law, is one in which although two or more vendors/resellers can supply a required product or service, but there are material and substantial reasons to prefer one vendor over the others, such as the need to upgrade current equipment with parts or to obtain software from the original manufacturer or to select a consultant for a particular expertise.
It is the Purchasing Department's responsibility to review and approve of all sole source and single source purchases and to ensure that the procurement record includes "material and substantial reasons" for the single source or sole source purchase.

End users must provide a memo to the Purchasing Office that includes:

  1. a description of the commodity and/or service being sought;
  2. a statement that explains the specific elements that differentiate the selected vendor/product that the College requires from all other vendors/products available (why this one vendor/product represents the best possible source/product when considering characteristics, technical capabilities,  availability of resources, facilities, expertise);
  3. identification of the other vendors/products considered and, if single source procurement, a description of how the vendor was selected from the pool of potential vendors who also provide the product/service;
  4. the specific reasons for selecting this vendor instead of the others -- describe how the product/service uniquely meets the College’s needs and how selecting this vendor is in the best interests of the College and why competitive solicitation is not warranted;
  5. if applicable, a description of the previous similar purchases, future requirements, and long-range objectives, including what efforts are being made to ensure future competition;
  6. the overall (long-term) estimated costs of the product/service;
  7. what would happen if this vendor/product were not selected (as a single/sole source)?;
  8. the basis upon which the College determined that the vendor’s price is fair and reasonable (as required for all purchases).

NOTE: A letter from the vendor declaring that it is the sole source for a product is not sufficient justification for a purchase to be made on a single source or sole source basis; the Purchasing Office will conduct its own due diligence to determine whether that vendor is the exclusive source for the required goods and/or services.

CUNYfirst PROCUREMENT MODULE

The College utilizes CUNY’s CUNYfirst web-based System to process all Tax Levy, Technology Fee, Material Fee, and some CSI Association transactions.

Please see CUNY’s Financials link Procurement (State) on how to Create Requisitions-Goods and Services, Manage Requisitions, Approve Requisitions, Select an Alternate User to Approve Requisitions, Budget Check Requisition, Cancel Requisition, Run Queries and Desktop Receiving Goods and Services: Create a Receipt, Inspect Receipt, and Cancel Receipt.  Also, available is Requisition and Receipts FAQ. 

CUNYfirst PROCUREMENT OTHER MODULE

Procurement/Travel/NET Card Policy – Requests for state issued Travel Cards must be requested and approved by the President via email.  Upon approval, please forward to Purchasing for further processing. Please review the Procurement/Travel Card Policy and Corporate Credit Card Program Guidelines for authorized Travel charges.  Meals are not authorized to be charged on the Travel Card.

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