60.02 - Purchasing Criteria
Owner:
- Position: Purchasing Services Director
- Email: purchasing@uidaho.edu
Last updated: April, 2026
A. General. The policies and procedures set forth in APM Chapter 60 are applicable to all University of Idaho purchasing activity.
B. Policy.
B-1. Compliance with Higher Governing Authority. Purchasing activities shall be administered in strict adherence with the requirements of applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
B-2. Open and Fair Competition. Purchases shall be administered in a manner that provides maximum practicable open and free competition appropriate to the type of goods or service to be provided. Where possible a solicitation of a minimum of three providers is required.
B-3. Employee Ethics. All employees involved in purchasing activities must strictly adhere to the FSH 3170 University Ethics and FSH 3175 Financial Stewardship Responsibilities. All purchases must be made based on the best interests of the University.
B-4. Efficiency and Effectiveness. Purchases shall support UI goals of cost efficiency and quality of goods and services, and these objectives shall be given consideration in purchasing decisions.
B-5. Proper Approval. No contract for the purchase of goods or services shall be made without approval as required by APM 60.20 Contracts and Agreements Approval Matrix.
B-6. Prudent Procurement Practices. All procurement decisions must be made using sound and prudent business judgment and practices.
C. Competitive Bid Thresholds
| Competitive Bid Required | Competitive Bid Not Required |
|---|---|
| Purchase orders for goods greater than $10,000 | Purchase orders for goods $10,000 or less |
| Service agreements greater than $25,000 | Service agreements $25,000 or less |
| Purchasing card holders are authorized to procure goods up to the limits of their individual cards |
D. Purchase Orders. Units are authorized to issue purchase orders for goods in amounts below the competitive bid threshold without competitive bidding against funds currently on deposit in budgets under their control and direction. Units have discretion as to whether to issue requests for quotations for these purchases, subject to the requirements of APM 60.10 Requests for Quotations.
Version History
Amended April 2026. Minor editorial changes to policy without changing its core intent or requirements; recommended by internal audit.
Amended July 2022. Comprehensive policy review. Language clarified throughout.
Amended April 2011. Revised to establish competitive thresholds.
Adopted August 2005.