Purchases and sales are the administrative responsibilities of the USNH Treasurer. Under his/her direction all purchases will be made for the USNH in accordance with applicable federal and state statutes. USNH strives to procure all goods and services through the use of appropriate contracts, and terms and conditions to protect both buyer and seller. Purchases will be conducted on an open and competitive basis and without favoritism in order to obtain the maximum value. Interested suppliers will receive fair and impartial consideration. Adequate safeguards will be provided to insure that the best interests of the State of New Hampshire and of the institutions of the USNH will be served by timely purchases of acceptable quality at minimum costs.
Purchases not previously budgeted which may substantially affect the cash-flow of the USNH, purchases which require contracts in a format other than normal purchase orders or contracts and purchases to be made on a "time" basis (payment over more than one fiscal year) or with a charge for interest require prior approval by the USNH Treasurer or his/her designee.
The USNH Treasurer, the Director of Purchasing and his/her designated "agents" are the official USNH contact with its suppliers, and are the only individuals authorized to execute purchasing agreements.
New Hampshire RSA 21-I:22-a requires that all competitive bids (RFBs) or proposals (RFPs) valued at more than $35,000 contain "...within the body of the document the objective criteria by which each submission will be reviewed, if there are particular requirements that will receive more weight in the review of the submission, and the standards upon which any award will be based."
Purchases will be made from the supplier submitting the lowest responsive and responsible bid including all considerations such as freight, cash terms, price, maintenance, life cycle cost, delivery, supplier acceptability (including supplier's past history with USNH and data provided on the USNH Substitute W9 form) and quality of product or service unless, in the judgment of the requisitioner, with the approval of the USNH Treasurer or the Director of Purchasing or his/her designee, the best interests of the USNH would not be served by such an award. In case of identical low, responsible bids, the award decision will be made to the registered New Hampshire supplier if only one; by lot among the registered New Hampshire suppliers if more than one, or by lot among the suppliers if there is no registered New Hampshire supplier.
Purchasing decisions should be made with integrity and objectivity, free from any personal bias or benefit. In addition, employees of USNH purchasing offices as well as those faculty and staff purchasing goods and services, shall conduct themselves in accordance with the Code of Ethics established by the National Association of Educational Procurement. www.naepnet.org/?page=CodeOfEthics
It is the responsibility of all employees to work to maintain the good name of USNH, to develop and maintain good relations between USNH and its vendors, and to keep in mind that personal contacts form much of the basis for the opinion of USNH by its vendors.
USNH employees shall refrain from accepting gifts or gratuities from vendors. Employees who are responsible for making purchasing decisions, or who are in a position to influence purchasing decisions, shall refrain from accepting gratuities or benefits from any vendor, for they may be construed to influence such purchasing decisions.
Employees shall not do business in the name of USNH with companies in which they, or an immediate family member, hold a financial interest, unless full disclosure of the facts of the matter and the employee's financial interest are first made to, and approved in writing by the USNH Director of Purchasing. Employees who would benefit financially from a given prospective supplier selling goods or services to the USNH may not participate in the supplier selection process.
The USNH does not purchase services from its students or employees, except through normal payroll procedures. This includes individuals employed by one USNH institution who are providing services to another USNH institution. Occasions may occur when it is in the best interest of the USNH to purchase goods from either an employee or student. The purchasing office at the campus where the purchase will be made must complete a price comparison prior to granting approval for the purchase. In those instances where an employee or student of USNH has a regularly established business, the USNH may do business with that company. The following criteria must be met before any purchase may be made: the business must be registered with the New Hampshire Secretary of State, the nature of the business is such that it is not related to the work the employee does for USNH, and the business entity can show that it regularly does business with a variety of other individuals or companies not associated with USNH in any manner.
Companies that prepare and furnish complete specifications to be used in a competitive bid shall not be allowed to submit a bid or furnish those items during any initial contract; however, exceptions may be made in the area of developmental work where it is normal to select firms that have done the most advanced work in the field or when the contractor preparing the specifications is acting as an industry representative and is preparing non-proprietary specifications meeting general standards of the trade. In these instances, a company may provide specifications and also bid on a given project. Exceptions may be made by the USNH Treasurer, Director of Purchasing or his/her campus designee when there has been full advance written disclosure of the circumstances.
University System of New Hampshire development efforts provide all prospective donors the opportunity to contribute to the USNH college/university of their choice. Development efforts are conducted separately and without regard to present or prospective business relationships which the college/university may have with donors. The status of an entity or individual as a past, present or expected future donor to USNH or any of its institutions shall not be considered in, and shall have no effect on, USNH's decision whether or not to engage in a business transaction with the entity or individual. Donations/gifts and purchases of goods/services are separate transactions and may not be co-mingled; each must stand on its own. A USNH college/university may, on a regular or special campaign basis, solicit support from the business community, both individual members of companies and the companies themselves, including businesses that are suppliers to the college/university and businesses that are not.
In emergency situations when the purchasing offices are not open and when a responsible individual deems prompt action necessary, commitments may be made in the name of the USNH within established policy. The appropriate purchasing office must be notified the following working day to explain the circumstances. Documents outlining the particulars relative to the emergency purchase must be included in the notification. The purchasing office will ensure that the transaction is within policy and was required to meet an emergency need.
As required, 41 Code of Federal Regulations Section 60-1.4, 60-250.4 and 60-741.4, related to equal employment opportunity without regard to race, age, color, religion, sex or national origin, and to affirmative action for disabled veterans, Vietnam Era veterans and the handicapped, are incorporated into sub-contracts and purchase orders.