Office of Business Affairs
Purchasing Guidelines
A quick guideline regarding our purchasing procedures, when to use your Procurement Card, and who to contact.
For Orders Under $500
Use of a Procurement Card account is preferred when:
- Accepted by the vendor
- The purchase falls within program guidelines
If not:
- Do not place the order
- Submit a requisition to Procurement & Payment Services with the intended item(s)/service(s) required (allow for adequate processing times)
- Our office will process the purchase according to purchasing rules/regulations
For Orders Between $500 and $2,500
Use a Procurement Card when:
- Accepted by the vendor,
- Purchase falls within program guidelines,
- You've determined price reasonableness, and
- There are no credit card transaction fees included (ESF does not pay for credit transaction fees)
The transaction is recorded in your P-Card log and properly certified at the end of the month of purchase.
Note: Although the department may obtain written quotes from vendors for intended purchases, NYS Finance Law does not allow unauthorized personnel to obligate funds without the prior knowledge of Procurement & Payment Services (i.e., confirming orders are not permissible). Any written quotes should be forwarded to our office with the requisition.
For Orders that Exceed $2,500
- Do not place the order
- Submit a requisition to Procurement and Payment Services with any/all documentation (e.g., quotes, contracts, product/service information, etc.) prior to the intended purchase (allow for adequate processing times)
- If a new vendor, we will need a Sub W-9 completed by new vendor to be paid
- Our office will process the purchase according to purchasing rules/regulations
All purchase requests should be submitted using ESF's new . Please direct any questions to Purchasing@esf.edu. Please do not submit any purchase requisitions to Purchasing@esf.edu, it is important and required that you use the new on-line Purchase Request Form to submit a purchase requisition.