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Vendor Information
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The guide has been prepared to assist you in your contacts with Delta State University and
Location and Office Hours The Procurement Department is located in Kent Wyatt Hall 221. Our regular office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding IHL approved holidays. Summer office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Basic Guidelines
What We Buy The dollar volume of Delta State University is significant. Purchases are made to support academic and administrative user departments. The purchases total approximately $16 million per year, and items included are scientific equipment, office furniture, office supplies, textbooks, library books, chemicals, minor repair, construction materials, construction machinery, and maintenance service. If you are interested in supplying any of these items, please advise us in writing and provide us with some information on your firm's background and experience. How We Buy As a public institution, we must follow state purchasing laws and regulations. The Mississippi Constitution places the management and control of Institutions of Higher Learning under the governance of the Board of Trustees. State law establishes guidelines and agencies to supervise the procurement functions. The Office of Purchasing and Travel, which is under the Department of Finance and Administration, was established to coordinate and promote economy in the purchases made by state agencies. The Office of Purchasing and Travel has the authority to prescribe rules and regulations to enter contracts for commodities and to issue regulation on how commodities can be purchased under the contract. State law Laws relative to the Office of Purchasing and Travel and the procurement process in general may be found in Chapter 7 of the Mississippi Code beginning with Section 31-7-1. MS State Bid and Quote Requirements 31-7-13. All agencies and governing authorities shall purchase their commodities and printing; contract for fire insurance, automobile insurance, casualty insurance (other than workers' compensation) and liability insurance; contract for garbage collection or disposal; contract for solid waste collection or disposal; contract for sewage collection or disposal; and contract for public construction as herein provided. A. Purchases which do not involve an expenditure of more than Five thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), B. Purchases which involve an expenditure of more than Five thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) but not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), exclusive of freight and shipping charges, may be made from the lowest and best bidder without publishing or posting advertisement for bids, provided at least two (2) competitive written bids have been obtained. The term "competitive written bid" shall mean a bid submitted on a bid form furnished by the buying agency or governing authority and signed by authorized personnel representing the vendor, or a bid submitted on a vendor's letterhead or identifiable bid form and C. Purchases which involve an expenditure of more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), exclusive of freight and shipping charges, may be made from the lowest and best bidder after advertising for competitive sealed bids once each week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a regular newspaper published in the county or municipality in which such agency or governing authority is located. The date as published for the bid opening shall not be less than seven (7) working days after the last published notice; however, if the purchase involves a construction project in which the estimated cost is in excess of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), such bids shall not be opened in less than fifteen (15) working days after the last notice is published and the notice for the purchase of such construction shall be published once each week for two (2) consecutive week. The notice of intention to let contracts or purchase equipment shall state the time and place at which bids shall be received, list the contracts to be made or type of equipment or supplies to be purchased, and, if all plans and/or specifications are not published, refer to the plans and/or specifications on file. Specifications pertinent to such bidding shall be written so as not to exclude comparable equipment of domestic manufacture. D. Purchases may be made from the lowest and best bidder. In determining the lowest and best bid, freight and shipping charges shall be included. No agency or governing authority shall accept a bid based on items not included in the specifications. E. No contract or purchase as herein authorized shall be made for the purpose of circumventing the F. For the purposes of this section, the term "purchase" shall mean the total amount of money encumbered by a single purchase order. Orders on State Contract If an item is covered by a competitive bid state contract, we must buy from a particular vendor. If an item is covered by a negotiated contract, we can purchase that item from a vendor not on state contract if the price is lower than state contract price. Billing Instructions Billing information is shown on each purchase order, and all invoices are processed by the Purchasing Department. Because the University attempts to ensure prompt processing of vendor invoices, we require an original invoice which must reference the purchase order number. Shipping Instructions Most deliveries will be made to our Physical Plant/Receiving Station located at 1417 Maple Street. The "ship to location" will be indicated on the purchase order. General Credit References For references contact the Purchasing Department at (662) 846-4045 or fax (662) 846-4049. |
This page is maintained by Beverly Lindsey.