Office of Business Affairs
Purchasing Guidelines

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 and
• the purchase falls within program guidelines
• Do not place the order, if credit card transaction fees included
• 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

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 to purchasing@esf.edu. Any questions related to the above or any other purchasing situation may be directed to Virginia Frost (vfrost@esf.edu). 

NOTE: All Purchase Requests over $2500 must accompany 3 competitive quotes and written reasonableness of price. OGS and State Contract vendors should reference contract number on their quotes.