Procurement Services

The mission of Procurement Services is to provide the University of San Diego community access to the highest value of goods and services in a manner consistent with the University's mission, ensuring stewardship, quality, best practices, compliance and educational excellence.

Goods and services are to be procured on a competitive basis whenever possible. In complying with these requirements, procurement staff shall ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state or local laws, and shall encourage the participation of small, veterans, women, minority, and locally owned small businesses, in the procurement process and, to the extent legally possible, give preference to small and local businesses. The competitive procurement requirements can be satisfied through informal or formal bidding as defined below.

Informal Bidding. For goods and/or services estimated to be above $10,000 and below $250,000, a competitive procurement process may be conducted by Unimarket quotes, email, internet quotes, or other means and under conditions different from those required for formal bidding. Contract award is usually made on the basis of price to the lowest bidder who is both responsive (complies with the stated specifications) and responsible (competent and otherwise qualified to perform under any resulting contract), but can also be made based on best value. A minimum of three (3) quotes are required.

Formal Bidding. Formal bidding is a competitive procurement process in which prospective bidders respond to a solicitation. The process is used when: (i) the proposed contract amount is estimated to be above $250,000 and (ii) the specifications can be sufficiently defined and detailed to assure the procurement of appropriate and acceptable item(s) or service(s). A Request for Proposal (RFP) is usually the solicitation vehicle for this method of procurement but each project will differ so the procurement team determines the best approach to meet formal bidding requirements. Bids must comply with the specifications, terms, and conditions for the goods or services stated in the solicitation. Contract award can be made on the basis of price to the lowest bidder or based on best value.

Exemption from Competitive Requirements

The competitive procurement requirements may not apply, under the particular circumstances of the procurement, if an exception is warranted. The following examples are illustrative of circumstances that may be considered in authorizing case-by-case exceptions.

1. Public Exigency: An emergency situation when the health and safety of the public or persons in the custody or care of the University are at risk if immediate measures are not taken to resolve the problem/situation and it is not possible or practical to go through a competitive process.
2. Single or Sole Source
   1. Single Source: A procurement process in which item(s) or service(s) are procured from, or are a product of either:
      1. A single source of supply not selected through a competitive procurement process; or
      2. A single manufacturer, even though the items or services may be procured through a competitive procurement process (i.e. limited competition among dealers and distributors)
   2. Sole Source: Only one person, firm or manufacturer exists that can provide the needed item or services, and no equivalent person, firm or manufacturer is available that would meet the best interest of the University such as quality, schedule, standardization/interoperability or continuity of service. Competition is precluded because of the existence of patent rights, copyrights, secret processes, control of the basic raw material(s) or similar circumstances, and there is no equivalent item or service.

Absolute Compatibility:

1. The procurement is for replacement parts or components for equipment, and no information or data is available to ensure that the parts or components obtained from another supplier will perform the same function in the equipment as the part or component to be replaced.
2. The procurement is for replacement parts or components for equipment, and the replacement parts or components would compromise the safety or reliability of the product, or would void or invalidate a manufacturer’s warranty or guarantee; or
3. The procurement is for upgrades, enhancements or additions to hardware or for enhancements or additions to software, and no information and data is available to ensure that equipment or software from different manufacturers or developers will be as compatible as equipment or software from the original manufacturer(s) or developer(s).

USD competitive bid requirement is intended to be consistent with all applicable government procurement regulations as contained in the Federal Acquisitions Register (FAR); Office of Management and Budget’s uniform administrative requirements as codified under the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) at 2 C.F.R. Part 200 (Uniform Guidance), as well as any additional regulations or procedural formalities required by the contracting agency.