Getting Started
Buying Limits | Planning | Responsible Purchasing |
Procurement Contract Manager Support Requests
For assistance obtaining a contract or document review/signature, or if you need to initiate a solicitation, please use the Procurement Contract Manager Support Request Form (Contract Review Form).
This form will route directly to the Procurement Contract Managers in the Contracts and Sourcing team. Note: if your purchase is over the Direct Buy Limit and you are submitting a Requisition, please continue to attach your document(s) to the Requisition, a separate contract review form is not needed.
Please contact PCS Help at pcshelp@uw.edu with questions regarding invoicing, payments, receiving and requests unrelated to sourcing and contracts.
To close or initiate a change order to your Purchase Order, please utilize the Purchase Order Close/Change form.
It is not necessary to submit both a Change Order request and a Contract Review form; you may attach the documents needed to your Change Order request and the contract manager will review them as part of the change order process.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TARIFFS – NEWS – APRIL 8, 2025
A tariff is a tax or duty imposed by a government on goods imported from another country.
Who Pays the Tariff :
- Foreign Orders: The importer (Expeditors, UPS, Fed Ex, DHL, etc.) pays the tariff. The importer may then pass this cost on to the University.
- Domestic Orders: If the University orders from a US supplier, and the supplier needs to import an item for the order, the tariff may be charged to the UW by the supplier as a separate line item or added to the product cost. Always ask the supplier for documentation supporting the tariff.
Work with the University of Washington’s Customs Broker on Imports:
To avoid delays, fees, or COD charges, work with UW’s Customs Broker:
View Custom Clearance Expeditors Webpage
When placing an order with a foreign supplier, contact UW’s customs broker, Expeditors Inc. once the purchase order is issued. Expeditors will act as an intermediary between UW, the supplier, and customs authorities to ensure compliance with regulations and a smooth transition into the United States. Expeditors also provides quotes for transporting goods.
Workday:
Domestic Orders: If the supplier quotes a tariff, add the tariff amount to your Requisition, preferably as a separate line item; tariffs are taxable, use Spend Category SC2555
Foreign Orders: Please issue a Purchase Order to Expeditors for the customs/import fees and share the foreign purchase order number with them.
Scientific Equipment Qualifying for Duty Exemption: You can apply for a duty exemption on scientific instruments or equipment if there is no similar product made in the United States. The process can be complicated and time-consuming, Expeditors may be able to assist.
Form ITA-338P, Request for Duty-Free Entry of Scientific Instruments or Apparatus.
External Resources: Washington State Department of Revenue: https://dor.wa.gov/forms-publications/publications-subject/tax-topics/surcharges-including-tariffs
PROCUREMENT QUICK GUIDE: We hope you find the information in this guide useful as you plan your procurement activities. The guide consolidates information about sourcing, sole source procurement, unauthorized purchases, contracts and much more.
Before You Buy
Review quotes and proposals from suppliers providing products and/or services to ensure you understand the terms of the quote. Things to look out for include payment in advance requirements (not allowed by state procurement law), the cancelation process, and any restock or cancelation fees. This information should be included with the quote or proposal, and if not, please ask before agreeing to make the purchase.
Buying Limits
State of Washington and Federal purchasing rules require that purchases over the Direct Buy Limit be competitively solicited in the absence of a contract, funding source mandate, or a sole source justification. Procurement Services contracting professionals are responsible for issuing competitive solicitations. Departments do not have the authority to issue solicitations, and if the proposed purchase is expected to exceed $10,000 (direct buy limit) and not available from a UW Contract supplier, funding source mandate, or sole source, Procurement Services should be consulted and will manage the solicitation process.
The direct buy limit Purchasing review does not apply to catalog orders only.
The solicitation process is determined by the dollar amount of the purchase including shipping & handling, and excludes tax, and the commodity type.
For goods and services:
$9,999 and under | Between $10,000 and $99,999 - MUST BE MANAGED BY PROCUREMENT | Over $100,000 - MUST BE MANAGED BY PROCUREMENT |
|---|---|---|
Departments may place orders with third-party suppliers without prior approval of Procurement Services Contracting Team, with certain exceptions (Review Exceptions List). Documents or agreements requiring a signature and or review by Procurement Services. | Informal Competition Procurement Services Contracting Team will work with departments to issue an informal solicitation to qualified suppliers. Responses may be provided by telephone or in writing (email, fax, or US mail), depending on instructions from the UW buyer. If the solicitation is not advertised via Washington Electronic Business Solutions (WEBS), UW Procurement Services Contracting Team must include at least one minority and one woman owned business certified by the State Office of Minority and Woman Business Enterprise (OMWBE) in the solicitation process. (RCW 28B.10.029(c)(iii) | Formal Competition The Procurement Services Contracting Team will issue a written solicitation and advertise via Washington State Electronic Business Solutions (WEBS). Formal receipt process is required. The $100,00 threshold applies to the life of the purchase, for example a services agreement for $20k/year, for 5 or more years would require a formal solicitation. Contact a Procurement Services buyer for assistance. |
→See the exception items list for guidance on specific goods/services that require additional review/approvals.
Planning
Preferred Methods of Purchasing:
- Search the Catalogs. Benefits of catalog purchases include:
- Not subject to the Direct Buy Limit
- An efficient way to make purchases
- No additional central office approval
- Using master contracts negotiated by the Procurement Services Contracting Team
- Visit the UW Contracts Search for other Contract options.
- Watch the Buying from Contracts eLearning tutorial to learn more about using Contracts and how to use the UW Contracts Search
- Contact a Procurement Services Contracting team member for other contracts that may be used.
Other Purchasing Options:
- Competitive Solicitation: the process of seeking proposals, quotations or information from suppliers that bid competitively. Procurement Service is responsible for managing the competitive solicitation process.
- Sole Source: Requires justification. Justifications must be approved by Procurement Service when the order is placed in Workday:
- See the Workday page for ordering in Workday.
- Non-Catalog Order (Requisition Types including Blanket Requests, Capital Asset, Goods and Services etc)
- ProCard: Small dollar purchases, one time purchases
- Check UW Surplus for previously used items that are available at considerable savings.
Important: If you have questions or need assistance regarding an upcoming purchase, contact the Procurement Services Contracting team and get them involved early. To find a team member, use the link below for a list of commodities and team members.
https://finance.uw.edu/ps/contact-us/subject-matter-experts
Responsible Purchasing
Ethics
As employees of the state of Washington, faculty and staff of the UW must follow all of the state statutes and regulations regarding ethics and conflicts of interest.
State law is found primarily in RCW 42.52, and sets out a strong statement of ethical principles and values for state officers and employees. In part, that statement provides:
- State officers and employees of government hold a public trust which obligates them, in a special way, to honesty and integrity in fulfilling the responsibilities to which they are elected and appointed.
- Paramount in that trust is the principle that public office--whether elected or appointed--may not be used for personal gain or private advantage. (RCW 42.52.900)
Supplier Diversity
Purchasing Services is committed to ensuring that minority-owned, women-owned, small, disadvantaged, HUB Zone, veteran-owned and service-disabled-veteran owned businesses have the maximum practicable opportunity to participate in purchasing and contracting at the University of Washington. We strive to increase the depth and diversity of our supplier pool by promoting fair and open access to the business community. For more information visit our Supplier Diversity Page.
Green Procurement
Procurement Services promotes environmentally preferred purchasing (EPP) as defined by the National Associate of Educational Procurement-meaning that environmental and social considerations are “taken with equal weight to the price, availability and performance criteria that colleges and universities use to make purchasing decisions." The University’s buying staff leverage current supplier relationships to raise awareness of the purchasing considerations necessary to reduce our environmental impact and to maximize resource efficiency.
Please contact the University’s Sustainable Sourcing Team (claudiac@uw.edu) if you become aware of new environmentally friendly products or have questions about our program.
UW Finance Asset Short Term (FAST) Program
If you are considering a short-term financing option for acquisition of equipment, please go to the UW Treasury Financing Short Term Asset ("FAST") program page for additional details.
To be considered for a FAST loan, please complete the Borrower Information Form ("BIF") and send your completed form to Annette Sommer, Associate Treasurer at asommer@uw.edu. Potential borrowers can contact Annette to check on the status of the review by email or at: 1-8982, five business days after the date of submittal.