Basic Procurement Guidelines

Guidance and Interpretation: Materials Management Purchasing GuidelinesThis link will open in a new window (919-515-2171)

Source Document: State of North Carolina Agency Purchasing ManualThis link will open in a new window


As an agency of the state of North Carolina, NC State University is required to follow various federal and state laws and regulations, as well as policies and regulations of the University of North Carolina.

1. Purpose: To give the campus a general overview for obtaining goods and services.

All agencies, including the universities, are required by General Statues to purchase goods and services in accordance with policies and procedures established by the Department of Administration, Purchase and Contract Division. Such policies and procedures can be found, in detailed, in the State of North Carolina Agency Purchasing Manual, at web site www.doa.state.nc.us/PandC/agpurman.htmThis link will open in a new window.

2. The Purchasing Department under Materials Management is delegated purchasing responsibility for the campus. All university purchases of goods and services are made in accordance with NC General Statues and as defined at web site www.fis.ncsu.edu/materialsmgmt/purchasing/Purch_guidelines.htmThis link will open in a new window.

Purchases are generally initiated and completed using an electronic processing system. The initiation of a request is termed a purchase requisition and the requisition is electronically assigned to a campus-purchasing agent. Agents are assigned requisitions by commodity type and the agent has the responsibility of processing the request. Processing may include quoting, formal bidding, or purchasing from the appropriate state term or convenience contract. Requisitions are converted to purchase orders and forwarded to the vendor.

A vendor is expected to complete the request by delivering items/services as identified on the purchase order. Upon receipt and acceptance of the items/services the departmental requestor is expected to complete a receiving report. Discrepancies of any type must be reported to the purchasing agent of record. A completed receiving report is authorization for University Accounts Payable to pay a vendor.

See website www.fis.ncsu.edu/materialsmgmt/purchasing/Purch_guidelines.htmThis link will open in a new window for details on specific purchasing processes.