Before you make any type of purchase on behalf of the university, there are several guidelines you should review and questions to ask:

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Is the Purchase Appropriate?

University credit, purchasing power, and facilities have been granted to you to make purchases for official business use only. Always ask if the purchase is necessary, appropriate for the business need, and if existing equipment or supplies would meet the need. The purchase of personal items with university funds is never appropriate. Purchases must support one or more of the university tenets:

• Teaching
• Research
• Public Service

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Are You Purchasing a Service?

Service purchases have specific requirements, and a contract is more than likely involved. Before any service is rendered, departments must always contact Procurement Services for further guidance. The appropriate form, listed on our contracts page here, should be submitted for review by the Procurement Services department.

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Are There Funding Source Restrictions?

There may be restrictions on what can or cannot be purchased on certain types of accounts (i.e., federal, agency-funded). If an account has more restrictive policies than the university, the more restrictive policy applies.

Non-compliance with funding restrictions can result in:

• Negative audit findings
• Negative publicity with suppliers and the larger community
• Loss of funding

For federal funding, approval of the chosen approach must be in writing from the federal granting agency.

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What is the Dollar Amount?

For purchases over $10,000, you must consider HUB vendors, and for anything between $10,000 and $25,000, three quotes are required, with at least two from HUB vendors. These guidelines help ensure compliance with Texas A&M University-Kingsville's procurement procedures.

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Is the Item Available in JavelinaBuy?

JavelinaBuy features multiple supplier catalogs selling supplies and capital assets at the lowest overall cost, utilizing university agreements. The total cost should account for more than just the price of the item but also include the time spent issuing the order, travel, processing invoices, and any applicable warranty or return terms.

Purchases from JavelinaBuy may not require the same HUB vendor requirements as direct purchases do, but they should still follow university purchasing standards.

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Is There an Agreement Available?

Before making a purchase, always check if there is an existing agreement in place. The university has various types of agreements that may offer favorable pricing and terms. These agreements include:

• University Agreements: Competitively bid with outside suppliers, ensuring cost savings and favorable terms.
• Interagency Agreements: Contracts between TAMUK and other government entities or educational institutions. These can streamline services and reduce costs.
• Cooperative Agreements: Collaborative purchasing agreements through various cooperative organizations that offer discounted pricing based on bulk purchasing for multiple institutions.
• State of Texas Programs: State-negotiated contracts and programs provide additional purchasing options for goods and services at negotiated prices.
• State Master Agreements: Pre-negotiated agreements established by the State of Texas for common goods and services, ensuring compliance and competitive pricing.

Utilizing one of these agreements may eliminate the need for multiple quotes or bidding. To check for existing contracts, search within JavelinaBuy. If an agreement exists, add the contract number to the requisition in that field.

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Selecting a Supplier

If you cannot find what you are looking for in JavelinaBuy or from one of the suppliers with which we have an agreement, you may need to choose an alternate supplier (submit as a non-catalog requisition). For purchases over $10,000, HUB vendors must be considered, and for purchases between $10,000 and $25,000, three quotes (two from HUB vendors) must be obtained.

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Are There Insurance Requirements?

Any service provided physically on campus requires that the supplier has appropriate insurance. For further guidance, please talk to the TAMUK Enterprise Risk Management department.

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Are You Getting the Best Price?

Whenever possible, negotiate with vendors for the best possible pricing while ensuring that quality standards and university policies are maintained. Always compare prices from multiple suppliers to ensure value for the university.

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Export Compliance; Outside the US?

Are you purchasing items to be used outside the U.S.? Purchase requests may involve items or equipment classified or controlled by the U.S. government. These requests will undergo review by campus export control authorities to ensure compliance with federal regulations.

Among other things, these federal laws may prohibit the purchase/possession of these items or require a federal license for use by non-U.S. citizens. Federal licensing or other controls may also be required when these items are shipped, transferred, or disposed of.

When making a purchase, it is important to verify the status of vendors to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations. This includes checking if a vendor is debarred, divested, or placed on Texas state hold. Failure to do so may result in non-compliance and could affect university contracts and operations.

 

Department Responsibility

Before submitting a requisition or purchase request, it is the department's responsibility to verify the status of the vendor. Departments should check the following resources to confirm that the vendor is in good standing:

 

• Debarred Vendors: To ensure a vendor is not debarred from federal contracts, search the System for Award Management (SAM) website.
• Divested Vendors: For restrictions related to divestiture, especially involving foreign entities, consult the System for Award Management (SAM) website database.
• Texas State Hold Vendors: To verify if a vendor is on Texas state hold, departments can use the Vendor Hold feature located in the Texas A&M University System Single Sign-On (SSO) portal. This tool allows users to check whether a vendor is restricted from receiving payments due to violations such as delinquent taxes or other state-level issues.

 

Departments should perform these searches before initiating any requisition in JavelinaBuy or proceeding with a purchase. It is recommended that departments retain proof of this verification.

 

Procurement Services Responsibility

Procurement Services provides additional oversight during the requisition approval process. Although the department is primarily responsible for the vendor search, Procurement will review vendor status during the approval phase to ensure compliance with applicable regulations. For high-risk or high-value contracts, Procurement may request additional documentation or perform a more thorough review.

• Procurement will verify vendor statuses for federal restrictions (SAM.gov) and Texas state holds (via the SSO portal) and may include documentation if required.
• If a department has not attached evidence of the vendor search, Procurement may request confirmation before proceeding with the requisition