Frequently Asked Department Questions 

• Yes, in most instances when the aggregate cost of all items to be purchased exceeds $10,000. Purchases may not be artificially divided to avoid or lessen bid requirements.
• If ordering from a supplier website/punch-out catalog in Workday, competitive pricing is not required regardless of the dollar amount. A requisition will be generated from the catalog shopping cart and a purchase order will be issued to the supplier upon receipt of all required approvals.
• If ordering from a University Master Contract or Louisiana State Contract competitive pricing may not be required, but a non-catalog requisition must be submitted for encumbering funds, verification of contract information, and issuance of a purchase order.

• Conditional authorization to purchase goods and services in the amount of $5,000 or less has been delegated by the System Chief Procurement Officer to deans, directors, and department heads. Additional authority has been granted to a select few individual who hold procurement delegation up to $10,000. However, purchasing policy must be complied with or this authority may be revoked. In general, a requisition is required and must be submitted to Procurement for all supplies, materials, equipment, and services purchased from off-campus suppliers when the total cost exceeds $10,000. Some purchases, regardless of dollar amount, have other special requirements to ensure compliance with applicable purchasing law, policy or procedures.
• This does not apply to Professional, Specialty, and Consulting Services (formerly known as PPCS).
• If you are not an authorized department head, then you should consult with your department head before making any purchase without authority.

• If ordering from a state contract competitive pricing may not be required, but a requisition must be processed through Procurement for encumbering funds, verification of state contract information, and issuance of a purchase order.
• If ordering from a supplier website competitive pricing is not required.
• If ordering non-catalog goods/services from a non-state contract supplier:
  • For orders less than or equal to $10,000 - no bids are required unless the purchase would be considered to artificially divide the purchase to circumvent a bid requirement.
  • For orders between $10,000.01 and $25,000 - fax quotes from at least (3) sources may be solicited by delegated Purchasing Agents using the University Standard RFQ form and submitted with a requisition to Procurement in advance of the purchase and issuance of a purchase order. If individual is not delegated purchasing authority, a requisition must be submitted and Procurement will handle soliciting fax quotes.
  • For orders between $25,000.01 and less than $50,000 - fax quotes are solicited by Procurement in accordance with the University Procurement Code.
  • For orders $50,000 or greater - sealed written bids are solicited by Procurement and public notice is posted to the State Procurement LaPAC website and may be sent to newspapers in accordance with university policy.
• Some purchases, regardless of dollar amount, have other special requirements to ensure compliance with applicable purchasing law, policy or procedures.

No. A new sole source justification form and current letter from the supplier along with current price quote must be submitted. Reason is to have the supplier certify each time that sole source conditions still exist, and that no other competitor has entered the marketplace or they have not established a distributor network.

The department, faculty or staff member usually determines the need for a product or service in conjunction with the need of the actual end user. The role of Procurement is to ensure purchases are made in accordance with state law, to ensure competition and to provide guidance.

Under no circumstances will late bids be accepted, regardless of the reason. All bids must be received by the bid opening date and time shown on the solicitation document. If a bid is delayed by actions of LSU personnel, and this delay prejudices a supplier, then LSU must cancel the solicitation and rebid.

The Office of State Procurement updates State Contracts nightly to assure current information is available. 

 A written request outlining the reasons to the System Chief Procurement Officer must be done. The request must include adequate justification that the best interests of the university would be served by using the RFP procurement method instead of the ITB procurement method. The System Chief Procurement Officer will evaluate the justification and make a determination on how to proceed.

Contact LSU Facility Planning or the LSU Facility Services Department. State Fire Marshall approval may be involved or coordination necessary with drafting specifications on appropriateness of altering a building or the campus grounds. Such considerations for work coming in contact with building or underground computer, telephone and utility lines must be respected.

See State Procurement's Contract Search (LA e-Cat) on the Internet. 

Non-competitive support services would include such things as installation of equipment on an equipment purchase, installation of software with equipment purchases, maintenance of hardware and software, some training on hardware/software when you purchase equipment. 

The majority of the Brand Name PC contracts include a line for installation at an hourly rate. Some depts may elect to utilize their in-house I/S personnel for installation. If installation is not covered by the contract nor offered by your dept., then competitive bids should be solicited in accordance with Procurement Rules and Regulations.

This would be covered under support services and is non-competitive. However, the supplier must be made aware that any travel charges would have to be billed and reimbursed in accordance with the maximum allowable fees set forth in the State Travel Rules and Regulations, PPM 49. 

Sometimes suppliers will require that an agreement be signed. In this case, the original agreement, not signed by the University, must be forwarded to Procurement for review with compliance with Louisiana law.