The objective of effective procurement is to obtain high quality goods, supplies, and services, at the lowest possible cost. Individuals must procure goods and services fairly and impartially to avoid impropriety or the appearance of impropriety. The University expects individuals involved in procurement for the University to exercise prudent judgment. Each procurement must be able to sustain the test of public review for all purchases.
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Goods and Services (Except Equipment Trust Fund - ETF and Restricted Items) |
Departmental Procedure |
Purchase Method(s) |
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All goods and non-professional services $10,000 or less |
One or more quotes are required for purchases of goods and services costing $10,000 or less (exceptions: see Mandatory Sources). At least one quote should be obtained from a certified micro business (for see SBSD potential certified sources & our EO35 FAQ document). Department delegation information *For purchases of goods and services costing $10,000 or less the term “Quote” or “Proposal” is not referencing an official document; rather a concept that the department fully understands the cost of what they are purchasing and what goods or services they will receive for that cost, prior to entering a purchase order. The “Quote” could be an official quote from the supplier, a price listed on their online catalog, the sticker price at the store location, or through general emails and conversations with the supplier. |
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eVA self-registered & SWaM Purchases $50,000 or less |
Departments may receive one quote/proposal from a SBSD certified SWaM vendor that is also an eVA Self-Registered vendor up to and including $50,000 to include shipping. |
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Goods and non-professional services $10,000.01 to $200,000 |
JMU Small Purchase Procedures apply Departments are required to utilize established JMU contracts or to work with Procurement Services. |
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All goods and non-professional services over $200,000 |
Departments are required to utilize established JMU contracts or to work with Procurement Services to find a cooperative contract or conduct a competitive procurement. For departments making repetitive annual purchases of the same goods/services, Procurement Services may elect to establish a term contract through competitive negotiation. |
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Professional Services means work performed by an independent contractor within the scope of the practice of:
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Procured through competitive negotiation as allowed by State Law. |
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Individual purchases of goods and services costing $10,000 or less (without splitting the order/transaction) and in the aggregate do not accumulate to over $200,000 in total annual cost shall be procured through the procurement delegation granted to individual University departments.
The Rules Governing Procurement of Goods, Services, Insurance and Construction by a Public Institution of Higher Education of the Commonwealth of Virginia (Subchapter 3 of the Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act) permits a public body to establish small purchase procedures, if adopted in writing, to govern procurements where the sum of all phases is not expected to exceed $200,000; however, such small purchase procedures must provide for competition wherever practical.
All purchases of goods and services costing over $200,000 shall follow the procedures as set forth in the Commonwealth of Virginia Purchasing Manual for Institutions of Higher Education and their Vendors.
See Policies and Procedures in Section Two for more information.
The Office of Procurement Services must be contacted if there is a need to purchase restricted items no matter the cost of the goods or services. The following items are restricted purchases:
- Air conditioners
- Alcoholic beverages
- Cellular phones
- Construction/renovation (require Facilities Management approval)
- Firearms and ammunition
- Furniture
- Narcotics or dangerous drugs
- Professional services
- Property leases
- Purchases from a state employee
- Two-way radios
- Vehicles
JMU Term Contracts
JMU establishes term contracts that allow departments to make on-demand purchases at contract pricing. Typically term contracts are established through the RFP (Request for Proposal) process when goods or services are purchased by the University on a repetitive basis (See RFP Process). Departments may use JMU term contracts to make purchases for a variety of goods/services above their departmental delegation as these contracts have been competitively procured. Departments can locate most JMU term contracts by visiting the JMU Contract Gateway and by following these instructions.
Cooperative Term Contracts
Cooperative contracts issued by other public or private organizations or entities, including other educational institutions, public-private partnerships, public bodies, and purchasing organizations are allowed only when those contracts are procured competitively with comparable processes to that of James Madison University or the Commonwealth of Virginia. Seek advice from Procurement Services on cooperative contract usage.
Suggested websites for locating cooperative contracts for use:
