Office of Business Affairs
Definitions

Amount of contract - The total financial obligation incurred by the University. In a multi year contract, the obligation incurred over the entire set term must be considered, rather than the annual amount alone.

Best Value - The basis for awarding contracts for services and technology that optimizes quality, cost and efficiency, among responsive and responsible offerers, which shall reflect, wherever possible, objective and quantifiable analysis.

Blanket Purchase Order- Specified dollar amounts are allocated to a purchase order for goods and services that are provided on an as-needed basis. Payments are made when the materials are provided and invoiced.

Commodity(s) - Material commodities, supplies, products, construction items or other standard articles of commerce other than technology or printing, which are the subject of any purchase or other exchange. The State Finance law requires commodity contracts to be awarded based on lowest price from a responsive and responsible offerer.

Confirming Order - Confirming requisitions are considered "after the fact" orders and usually represent a request to pay for materials, supplies, or equipment already received. They are against state Finance Law.

Contract - A new agreement, permit, memorandum of understanding or lease, or an amendment of same.

Contractor - A vendor from whom the University obtains commodities, services or technology.

Emergency - Is defined as "an urgent and unexpected requirement where health and public safety or the conservation of public resources is at risk." A failure to properly and timely plan in advance for a procurement, which then results in a situation in which normal procurement practices cannot be followed, will not constitute an "emergency."

Encumbrance - An amount set aside to reserve all, or a portion, of an appropriation for payment of future expenses i.e., payments for capital construction, monthly lease or maintenance agreements, or other contracts (including purchase orders).
Invitation for Bid (IFB) - A form of solicitation used for procurements where the needed commodities, services or technology can be translated into exact specifications and the award can be made on the basis of lowest price or best value when the best value determination can be made on price alone.

Lowest Price - The basis for awarding contracts for commodities among responsive and responsible offerers.

Pre bid technical review - Submission by the prospective purchaser of commodities or services, of the technical portion of a request for proposal, to the appropriate office for pre bid review, recommendation and/or approval. Such portion shall be composed of a detailed description of the commodities to be purchased or the services, including consulting or construction, to be performed.

Preferred Source -  Department of Correctional Services, Industries for the Blind, Industries for the Disabled, and Veteran's Workshops. The campus is required by law to attempt to use preferred sources first before considering other sources. Other sources may be used (State Contracts, open bidding) when the preferred source does not meet the form, fit or utility of the requirements.

Procurement Record - Documentation of the decisions made and the approach taken in the procurement process and summarized in the Procurement Record Checklist.

Proposal - A bid or other form of written or oral submission of a quotation by a contractor, upon purchaser's request, usually in competition with other contractors. Proposals are usually opened publicly at a specific time and place.

Purchase Order - A purchase order is the document that requests a vendor/supplier to furnish to the campus specified commodities/services. A purchase order is processed by the Purchasing Department based on a requisition received from a department.

Request for Quotation - A Request For Quotation form is used to acquire the price/s and pertinent information needed from a vendor/supplier before placing a purchase order.The Purchasing department can supply electronic forms to fax or e-mail.

Quotation - A quotation is the current price/s and pertinent information needed from a vendor/supplier for whom they will furnish specified commodities and/or services.

Request for Proposals (RFP) - A form of solicitation used for procurements of services and/or technology where factors in addition to cost are considered and a comparative evaluation of the proposals is necessary.

Requisition - A requisition is the form departments use to request the Purchasing Department to purchase specified commodities and/or services.

Service(s) - The performance of a task or tasks, except for architectural, engineering or surveying services, and may include a material good or a quantity of material commodities, and which is the subject of any purchase or other exchange. For the purposes of these procedures, printing and "Technology" shall be deemed services.

Single Source - Is defined as "a procurement in which although two or more offerers can supply the required commodities or services, the ... state agency, upon written findings setting forth the material and substantial reasons therefore, may award the contract to one offerer over the other".

Small Business - Is defined as one which is resident in this state, independently owned and operated, not dominant in its field and employs one hundred or less persons.

Sole Source - Is defined as "a procurement in which only one offerer is capable of supplying the required commodities or services."

State Term Contract/s A State term contract is a negotiated agreement between the State of New York and a vendor for the delivery of specific commodities, at a specific price, for a specified period of time. The Office of General Service (OGS) negotiates term contracts under which all New York State agencies may purchase their requirements for standard commodities that are in common use without the need for quotations or formal bidding.

Tabulation - A tabular format listing of all pertinent information from contractors' proposals, including a description of the commodities and/or services to be provided, which permits a comparison of proposals received and a determination of the lowest responsible vendor.

Technology - Means either new or used commodities and/or services which result in a technical method of achieving a purpose or improvement in productivity. Technology is treated as a "service" for contract procedure purposes