Occasionally it becomes necessary to request a purchase order for an amount greater than $2,000 for which there has been no bid process, and that is not already covered by a State, MHEC, E&I, or College Contract, because the end user feels that the commodity or service is a sole source. A “sole source” purchase means that to the requester’s knowledge and belief, based upon the thorough research of the requester, is the only one in the world from whom the product/service can be obtained.

In accordance with State and Federal procurement regulations, a sole source purchase order request, that is not covered by State, MHEC E&I or College Contract, shall be accompanied by a current original written quotation from the vendor and a justification/explanation from the requester. Such justification shall be written and signed by the end user/requester (the individual who claims the purchase is sole source/brand). The form shall be countersigned by the Approving Authority/Administrator who is the authorized signatory and has budgetary oversight, if other than the requester. The sole source form must accompany the purchase requisition.

All such sole source justification/quotations are subject to the review of the Director of Purchasing, who may request additional documentation or justification from the requester.

Justification for Sole Source shall include the following: 1.) A statement to the effect that the requester has thoroughly researched the purchase, and to the best of the requester’s knowledge and belief, the vendor for the product/service is the only one in the world from whom the product/service can be purchased; 2.) A detailed explanation of what the product/service is, its purpose, and what it is about the product/service that makes it unique.

Should you have any questions regarding this matter, please feel free to call Evelyn Wilson, Director of Purchasing, at x6152.

Sole Source Justification Form [PDF 175KB]