The Chief Financial Officer and Director of Financial Services will oversee and assist in purchasing, bidding and contracting to ensure that the guidelines from Minnesota State have been followed.
Requisitions are initiated and Purchase Orders are created in the Minnesota State Marketplace (eProcurement) system. All bids/quotes, solicitation documents, contracts, and any other forms or documentation is uploaded and saved in Marketplace.
A request for access to Marketplace is made through an email to the Director of Financial Services. Marketplace training is available through the Business Office.
If the amount of the purchase is estimated to be less than $15,000, the purchase may be made either upon one quotation or in the open market. It is desirable, so far as practicable, to obtain two (2) quotations. Quotations may be obtained by telephone or in written form via facsimile (FAX), delivery service, or Internet.
If the amount of the purchase is estimated to exceed $15,000 but less than $50,000, the purchase may be made either upon sealed bids or by direct negotiation by obtaining two (2) or more quotations for the purchase or sale when possible, and without advertising for bids or otherwise complying with the requirements of competitive bidding. Quotations may be obtained by telephone or in written form via facsimile (FAX), delivery service, U.S. mail or Internet. Quotations must have a specified date and time for submission. If quotations are obtained by telephone, they must be followed up with a signed quote.
If the amount of the purchase is estimated to exceed $50,000, sealed bids shall be solicited by public notice.
Sealed bids must be solicited by public notice through publishing a minimum two (2) week notice on a State of Minnesota website or in one or more official newspaper. The official newspaper may be the State Register. In addition to the public notice, sealed bids may be solicited by directly notifying prospective bidders not less than seven (7) days before the final date of submitting bids. This notice must state the time and place of receiving bids and contain a brief description of the subject matter. A bid containing an alteration or erasure must be rejected unless the alteration or erasure is crossed out and the correction printed in ink or typewritten adjacent to it and initialed in ink by the person signing the bid. Bids must be sealed and, when they are read, must be opened in public at the hour stated in the notice.
Bids and documents pertaining to the award of the purchase shall be retained and made a part of the permanent file. The record to be retained must include the names of vendors providing bids, amounts of bids, and each successful bid signed and dated.
Bid solicitation is not required for purchases from Minnesota Department of Administration master contracts, MN.IT Services master contracts, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities master contracts, or through cooperative purchasing agreements listed on the system’s official web site and authorized for use by the colleges and universities.
For proposed single-source purchases of goods and services over $50,000, the request form for single-source exception must be completed.
Purchases over $100,000 require written approval from the vice chancellor-chief financial officer. The Chief Financial Officer shall submit a memorandum explaining the need for the purchase, and the purchase amount, shall verify that funds are available for paying for the purchase, and shall describe what process will be used in making the award. The college may proceed with the purchase upon approval of the memorandum.
Approved by: ATCC Leadership Council
Effective Date: 9/9/19
Last Date Revised: 9/9/19