Purchasing Policy
Welcome
The Procurement Services Department supports the mission of The College of New Jersey by:
- Procuring goods and services in the most efficient and cost-effective manner, including strategic sourcing through all available means.
- Delivering the highest quality of customer service to faculty and staff.
- Ensuring compliance with the College’s Purchasing Policy and the State of New Jersey’s procurement laws, including the State College Contracts Law (N.J.S.A. 18A:64-52 et seq.).
- Administering the bidding process, approving requisitions and change orders, and maintaining the vendor database.
- Reviewing and executing all College contracts.
Purchasing Process
- All goods, services, and construction contracts must be procured through a competitive process unless an approved exception applies.
- Contracts for professional services must be requested through iContract prior to the engagement.
- Multi-year contracts are evaluated based on their cumulative total. If the total exceeds the bid threshold, competitive bids or a Board Waiver are required.
- A Sole Source Justification Form is required if competition is not feasible.
- Subscriptions/memberships do not require sole source justification.
- Independent contractors do not require the sole source form, but their qualifications must be documented in the Professional Services Contract.
- After a contract is awarded, a requisition must be entered in Oracle.
- All required documentation must be attached to each requisition.
- Requesters must select the appropriate TCNJ Reference when entering a requisition.
- The Department Chair/Director/Budget Manager/Principal Investigator is responsible for authorizing all purchases.
- Once goods or services are received, requesters must:
- Receive the order in Oracle Cloud.
- Submit the invoice to apinvoice@tcnj.edu
- Vendors must comply with the College’s Terms and Conditions (available on the Purchasing website).
Goods & Services Thresholds
Purchases under $5,000
- Price competition recommended but not required.
- Purchases may be made with a Procurement Card (P-Card).
- Required State form:
- W-9
Purchases $5,000 – $17,499
- Minimum of three (3) written quotations required. Lowest responsible quote must be accepted unless documented justification supports an alternative.
- Required State forms:
- W-9
- Certificate of Insurance
Purchases $17,500 – $119,799
- Procured by the Purchasing Department through the competitive quote process, unless using a NJ State, GSA, or Cooperative Contract.
- Sole Source Justification required if competition is not feasible.
- Required State forms:
- W-9
- Chapter 51 & Executive Order 117
- Certificate of Insurance
- New Jersey Business Registration Certificate
- Equal Employment Opportunity (N.J.S.A. 10:5-31, N.J.A.C. 17:27)
Purchases $119,800 and above (Bid Threshold)
- Procured by the Purchasing Department through a publicly advertised bid, unless using a NJ State, GSA, or Cooperative Contract.
- Required State forms:
- W-9
- Certificate of Insurance
- Chapter 51 & Executive Order 117
- New Jersey Business Registration Certificate
- Equal Employment Opportunity (N.J.S.A. 10:5-31, N.J.A.C. 17:27)
- Ownership Disclosure Form
- Non-Collusion Statement
- Source Disclosure Form
- Vendor Qualification Form
- Non-Involvement in Prohibited Activities in Russia or Belarus Form
- Disclosure of Investment Activities in Iran Form
Construction & Prevailing Wage Thresholds
Purchases under $5,000
- Price competition recommended but not required.
- Projects over $2,000 must comply with Prevailing Wage Law, including certified payroll.
- Contractors must be registered with the Department of Labor and hold a Public Works Contractor Certification.
- Required State form:
- W-9
- Certificate of Insurance
Purchases $5,000 – $17,499
- Minimum of three (3) written quotations required. Lowest responsible quote must be accepted unless documented justification supports an alternative.
- Sole Source Justification required if competition is not feasible.
- Required State forms:
- W-9
- Certificate of Insurance
- New Jersey Business Registration Certificate
Purchases $17,500 – $42,599
- Procured by the Purchasing Department through the competitive quote process, unless using a NJ State, GSA, or Cooperative Contract.
- Sole Source Justification required if competition is not feasible.
- Required State forms:
- W-9
- Chapter 51 & Executive Order 117
- Certificate of Insurance
- New Jersey Business Registration Certificate
- Equal Employment Opportunity (N.J.S.A. 10:5-31, N.J.A.C. 17:27)
Purchases $42,600 and above (Bid Threshold)
- Procured by the Purchasing Department through a publicly advertised bid, unless using a NJ State, GSA, or Cooperative Contract.
- Required State forms:
- Chapter 51 & Executive Order 117
- New Jersey Business Registration Certificate
- Equal Employment Opportunity (N.J.S.A. 10:5-31, N.J.A.C. 17:27)
- Ownership Disclosure Form
- Non-Collusion Statement
- Source Disclosure Form
- Vendor Qualification Form
- Non-Involvement in Prohibited Activities in Russia or Belarus Form
- Disclosure of Investment Activities in Iran Form
Board Waivers
Under the State College Contracts Law (N.J.S.A. 18A:64-56), the Board of Trustees may authorize contracts above the bid threshold without public bidding if they fall into one of 35 statutory exception categories.
Departments requesting a Board Waiver must:
- Submit a waiver request (in memo format) to the VP and Chief Financial Officer through their Cabinet Officer.
- Include:
- Description of the service or item.
- Rationale for the waiver.
- Number of vendors contacted (minimum of three, if possible).
- Justification if sole source.
- Provide competitive cost proposals where feasible.
TCNJ Board of Trustees meeting agendas and minutes are available at: https://trustees.tcnj.edu/meeting-agendas-minutes/
STATE AND FEDERAL CONTRACTS
Departments are authorized to purchase goods/services under contract awarded by the State of NJ or Federal government per the terms and conditions of those contracts:
State Contracts:
NJ Start (New) Browse By Category – Contract & Bid (Blanket) Search
The Federal Supply Schedules of the General Services Administration
http://www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov/ElibMain/ElibHome
Nationally-recognized and accepted cooperative purchasing agreements
Departments are authorized to purchases goods/services through the use of a nationally-recognized and accepted cooperative purchasing agreement that has been developed utilizing a competitive bidding process by another contracting unit within the State of New Jersey, or within any other state, when available. Cooperative Purchasing is a collaborative effort to obtain benefits in pricing, product quality and contract process efficiencies. Please ensure NJ is eligible to use the contract; the contract is awarded by a lead public agency.
The College is now a member of several Nationally recognized Co-op’s; below is the up to date list:
E&I Cooperative Services (Membership ID# 881396)
Educational Services Commission of NJ (ESCNJ Co-op# 65 MCESCCPS)
Hunterdon County Educational Services Commission
National Association of State Procurement Officers (NASPO ValuePoint)
National Joint Power Alliance – Sourcewell (ID# 87456)
NJEdge – EdgeMarket Cooperative Pricing System by NJEdge
OMNIA Partners (includes contracts from National IPA & US Communities)
PEPPM National Cooperative (Reference PO “As Per PEPPM”)
The following documents are required from vendor for these contracts:
- Vendor Qualification form
- W-9
- New Jersey Business Registration Certificate
- Certificate of insurance
- Quote from the vendor must reference cooperative contract number
- New Jersey Chapter 51/EO117 Approval (at $17,500 and above)
- AA / Certificate of Employment Information Report (at $50,000 and above)
- The College of New Jersey’s Terms & Conditions signed by the supplier