Procurement Services is tasked to support the research mission of the Veterans Medical Research Foundation by purchasing goods and services in a timely and cost effective manner, complying fully with funding agency requirements as well as good business practice.

Federal and State law governs expenditure of certain funds.  VMRF requires three (3) bids on all purchases over $50,000.  Exceptions may be made for professional services and brand or trade name products or proprietary services available only from a sole source; or are designated to match others in use at a particular qualified institutional location.

When possible Veterans Medical Research Foundation selects vendors who have identified themselves as small business, veterans owned, minority owned or women owned and who offer competitve prices and quality products and services.

To properly protect the Foundation from liability, no commitment (verbally or in writing) should be made to a vendor without an authorized VMRF Purchase Order number.  Purchase Order numbers may be requested from the VMRF Purchasing Department.

Procedure

Originating Office:

• Submit a Purchase Order request form to the VMRF Purchasing Department which contains a description or specification that is adequate to obtain competitive pricing.

• For purchases of $50,000 or more, the description or specification must not favor one brand or trade name article, manufacturer or supplier over others.

• To justify Sole Source on purchases over $50,000:  the Purchase Order request must be accompanied by a description of the features of a brand or trade name that only that product or service will fulfill, to the exclusion of all others.  All such statements become a part of the purchase contract file and must be defensible at time of audit.

• It is not allowable to split orders to avoid the need for competitive bids or sole source justification.

• Support the Purchase Order request with factual, auditable statements of need.

• To the extent possible allow ample planning time for purchase of the goods or services.  If the items are time sensitive clearly indicate this on the Purchase Order request.

Purchasing Department:

• Quotations of $50,000 or more shall be secured or confirmed in writing by a Purchasing Department designee and reviewed and authorized by the VMRF Chief Executive Officer.

• The Purchasing Department designee will forward to each vendor a Veterans Medical Research Foundation Supplier Diversity Program Questionnaire for them to fill out and return.

• All information necessary to prepare and submit quotations shall be given equally to all suppliers solicited. 

• The right shall be reserved to accept or reject quotations on each item separately, or the quotation as a whole, without further discussion

• Quotations less than $50,000 may be secured verbally by the Purchasing Department designee.

• The Purchasing Department designee will be responsive to requests for goods or services; will maintain liaison with the user department on the status of the order until receipt of goods or services; and will maintain compliance with granting agency requirements as well as established Federal and State law.

Last Updated 4/17/07