219 West Main Street
Arlington, TX 76019
Procurement Process Overview
Purchasing Authority & UTA Procedures
Where Does UTA’s Purchasing Authority Come From?
Procurement Methods and Tools: Seeking Competition
- Overview
- Competitive solicitations are the basis for all public procurements, unless otherwise allowed by statute or policy.
- One-time purchases under $15K do not require competition, but it is encouraged as is the use of VetHUB suppliers if possible.
- Informal Requests for Quotes
($15K - $50K)
- Must include a minimum of three “attempts”, including at least two VetHUBs from the State’s Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL)
- Does not require public posting
- Generally, the lowest price meeting requirements
- Formal Published Competitive Bids
(Over $50K)
- Same VetHUB requirements as previous.
- Must be publicly posted for a minimum of ten business days.
- Generally, the lowest price meeting requirements.
- Formal Published Requests
For Proposals (RFP)
- Same VetHUB and posting requirements as above (though usually longer posting time)
- Allows for evaluation of price and non-price criteria scored by a team of evaluators.
- Generally used for more complex/technical requirements where there may be more than one way to achieve our desired result.
Procurement Methods and Tools: Options Already in Place
How Long Does All This Take?
The answer is, of course, “it depends.” There are many variables that go into every purchase, regardless of the value.
The following are meant as a guide to the types of things that can impact the timeline, but there is no “set in stone” timeline for any type of purchase since many of the variables below are outside of Procurement’s (and your) control.
- Time of year (Summer/Year-End is always going to be much busier)
- Lack of clarity in scope, requirements, specifications
- Supplier documents or forms requiring signature/redlining (especially if Legal Affairs has to be involved)
- OIT, ISO, EHS, Facilities reviews and approvals (occur before it even gets to Procurement)
- Is all the required backup attached in UTShare
- Supplier response time on COIs, CBCs, redlines, etc.
How Does Value Impact Timeline?
In addition to the variables outlined previously, The purchase value can also impact the timeline due to increased requirements at various dollar thresholds.
- Less than $15K – Will dispatch back to the Requester to send to vendor once the final requisition approval is in place. PO’s dispatch at :01 on every odd hour throughout the day.
- $15K-$50K – Informal quotes must be requested and reviewed (when applicable). Assume 10-15 business days for processing assuming no other issues.
- $50K-$100K – Formal published solicitation required (when applicable) for a minimum of 10 business days + review/evaluation period once received. Assume 20-30 days for processing assuming no other issues.
- $100K+ – HSP requirements apply and will add time to allow suppliers to complete and meet the State’s VetHUB notification requirements. Assume 30+ days for processing assuming no other issues.