Section: IV – Purchasing
Page: 2
Subject: Policies of the State of North Carolina
Effective: July 1, 2000
It is the policy of the North Carolina Division of Purchase and Contract to:
- require items covered by established state contracts to be purchased in accordance with these contracts
- conduct all purchasing activities according to applicable laws, rules and regulations of good purchasing practices, and professional principles
- establish a practical degree of standardization of equipment, supplies and materials,
with reasonable allowance for varying requirements of the agencies served - encourage fair and open competition by legitimate and ethical means
- obtain, whenever feasible, favorable prices through volume buying
- extend honest, courteous and impartial treatment, along with fair and equal opportunity, to all interested and qualified suppliers
- require satisfactory and proper performance of contractual obligations from all vendors.
Monetary Requirements
Requirements for items not covered by any existing contract(s) and totaling less than $90,000 may be purchased locally after seeking competitive quotations according to good purchasing practices.Requirements not covered by any existing contract(s) and totaling more than $90,000 are to be referred to the North Carolina Division of Purchase and Contract for handling.
These policies apply to all funds, regardless of source. The $90,000 maximum applies to the total cost rather than to the cost of any single item. Dividing an order to avoid the $90,000 maximum is not allowed.
State Contract
Any product on state contract must be purchased from the approved vendor regardless of the dollar amount of the individual purchase. The General Statutes clearly reveal that the executive officer of the purchasing agency will be liable for the costs of any purchase contrary to the provisions established by the General Assembly. (See G.S. 143-58 for information on this provision.)
