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Purchasing Contracts

Information on this page is specific to purchasing contracts, or contracts to buy something. Learn more about the types of contracts.

Process

  1. Selecting a Vendor

    Before making a purchasing contract, you must select a vendor. You’ll work with Purchasing through the selection process.

    Competitive selection, such as a Request for Proposals (RFP), is required for purchases of more than $75,000 (or $75,000 per year for software or technology subscriptions).

    Visit selecting a vendor to learn more.

  2. Creating a Purchasing Contract

    For a purchase of services of more than $25,000, you need to create a written contract. Work with a contract specialist in your department to fill out the appropriate template.

    Visit creating a contract to learn more.

  3. Resolutions & Authorization

    No one can sign a contract without authorization from the Council. Some types of contracts are preauthorized, but for all others, the Council must specifically authorize it by resolution.

    A resolution is required for:

    • Service contracts of more than 5 years (including renewals)
    • Service contracts of 1-5 years (including renewals) if the average cost is more than $100,000 per year
    • Noncompetitive goods or service contracts of more than $75,000 (or $75,000 per year for annual software and technology subscriptions)

    Visit resolutions and Council authorization to learn more.

  4. Routing & Signing

    Visit the Quick Chart to check who signs your contract.

    • Contracts signed by the Mayor and City Clerk must be fully routed in Accela. This way, they are reviewed and signed by the City Clerk, Civil Rights, Risk Management, Finance, and the City Attorney before reaching the Mayor’s Office for signature. Visit electronic contract routing to learn more.
    • Contracts signed by Purchasing are sent to Purchasing in Munis with your requisition. If your contract does not require a requisition in Munis (rare), you can email it to the Procurement Supervisor directly to get a signature.

    The SharePoint Contracts Repository is the storage location for signed contracts. Finance uploads contracts to this site, where all staff can access them.

Software & Technology

All new software and technology must be reviewed and approved through the New Technology Request process. You should submit a new technology request before you start work on a purchasing contract.

After technology is approved, the contract is processed in one of two ways:

Resources

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