Purchasing Office

About the Purchasing Office

The mission of Purchasing is to assist faculty and staff in acquiring the goods and services they need to perform their duties.

We strive to maximize resources through strategically focused purchasing solutions in alignment with the University’s mission. As a public institution, Purchasing conducts business in an ethical, open, and competitive fashion in accordance with the rules established by the Board of Control.

Purchasing is responsible for the procurement of all equipment, services, materials, and supplies utilized by the SVSU campus. The Procurement Card allows individuals to make small-dollar purchases for business purposes, yet must still comply with SVSU Policies and Procedures.

Learn more about Purchasing Office services

Vendor Selection

Selection of reputable and reliable vendors is the responsibility of Purchasing. SVSU endeavors to conduct business in a fair and equitable manner and is tasked with maintaining positive vendor relations. Purchasing is responsible for conducting the bidding process in accordance with the Board-approved Purchasing Policy.

Vendors are permitted to visit individual campus departments; however, vendors must recognize that such visits may be informational only. Departments are not authorized to enter into contracts with vendors without prior approval and authorization by Purchasing. New vendors are advised to contact Purchasing to establish a relationship and explore potential opportunities to do business with SVSU.

Purchase Orders

There are two primary methods of purchasing goods and services for the University. An official purchase order, containing an authorized purchase order number, is the primary method to purchase goods and services obligating the University. Individuals who have been issued a Procurement Card have the ability to make small-dollar purchases as well as cover travel and entertainment expenses without prior approval from Purchasing.

Purchase orders cannot be issued without an approved purchase requisition being submitted to Purchasing. Issuing verbal orders is not an accepted practice at SVSU. All purchase requisitions must have authorization by the account manager (and in some cases by the account supervisor and/or senior administrator) overseeing the account number being charged for the purchase.

NOTE: A purchase requisition is not the same as an authorized purchase order and should not be used as such. A purchase requisition should never be submitted directly to the vendor or presented to the vendor as a purchase order.

Procurement Card

The Procurement Card (ProCard) program is designed to ease the procurement process and eliminate the need to use personal funds for travel and entertainment. This program is administered by the Controller’s Office and all transactions must comply with the Purchasing, Procurement Card, and Travel policies and regulations which are found within the Operations Manual.