Purchasing

Purchasing Procedures

There are three options for placing orders:

UT Market -- The easiest way to place orders at UT, though it is restricted to a subset of vendors.
Purchase Requisition -- For non-UT market orders, please either email your Purchase Request Form to IB_Purchasing@austin.utexas.edu, or turn it in to our IB purchasing agent in PAT 141. Please be advised, new vendors may not be in UT's system and therefore could take up to one (1) week before the order can be completed. If you are filing for a rush order, you must turn it in to your designated purchaser no later than noon (12:00 PM) to ensure it arrives the next day.
Procard -- Recommended for purchases under $100. See Procurement Cards subheader below.

Once items are received make sure all packing/receiving slips are noted with received date, signed, and returned to the IB Purchasing Coordinator in PAT 141. Also, if you receive any items that are damaged or defective, please notify the IB Purchasing Coordinator as soon as possible. Items that must be replaced should be done so quickly, and at no charge.

Please contact IB Payments for ProCard or Business Prime related questions.

$15,000+ Procedures

Purchases over $15,000+ require vendors under state contract to provide a quote. For vendors under non-state contracts, you must provide bids from other vendors or an Exclusive Acquisition Justification Form (formally Sole Source Document) and cost justification. For more information, see examples of sole source justification forms on the Purchasing Forms and Templates homepage.

Procurement Cards (Procard)

We recommend using a procurement card (procard) for purchases under $100; you may use your procard for higher purchases up to your card's limit. Procards can be used for purchasing materials and lab supplies with the exception of radioactive materials and gases. Procards cannot be used for entertainment, travel, or office supply purchases. For information on purchasing items with a procard, please visit the procard homepage.

PROCARD PAYMENT PROCEDURE

Procard transaction receipts must be submitted within three days from the date of purchase. You may send this receipt electronically to IB Payments or submit the physical receipt to the IB Office, PAT 141SA. Please include the appropriate account number as well as the good/services received date to the receipt or correspondence.

If you wish to have your procard limits changed, please submit an Exception Request found under Procard Forms at Procard Office.

Please contact IB Payments for ProCard related questions.

Campus Distribution Services

Please make alternate arrangements ahead of time if no one in your lab will be available to accept and sign for your Central Receiving package(s). Preferably, coordination should be done with another lab to ensure items that are temperature-sensitive aren’t left in the IB Office for extended periods of time.

To contact Central Receiving, please call 512-471-5464 or email DScds@austin.utexas.edu.

Helpful Links

Frequently Asked Questions

Can flowers be purchased?

Flowers may be sent by a department or center to honor a deceased or to recognize and congratulate an achievement. Flowers must be purchased with an endowment, and must not exceed $200 (including tax).

Computers Purchased with UT funds?

Computers purchased with UT funds are property of the university and must be tagged for inventory purposes.

How should page publications be handled?

A purchase order needs to be placed prior to recieving an invoice for payment. Once a quote is received from the vendor, contact IB Purchasing to submit a purchase order for this service.