Purchasing - Frequently Asked Questions

Is the University sales tax exempt?

  • The University is exempt from Utah state sales and use tax. Our tax exempt number is 11843640-002-STC. This number is printed at the bottom of all P-Cards. Vendors may require a copy of our tax exemption certificate. A copy of this certificate can be downloaded by clicking the link below. You will need to fill in the name of the vendor and the date.
  • UVU's Utah Sales Tax Exemption Certificate

What is a requisition?

  • A Requisition is a request created by a department and submitted to Procurement & Contract Services via Wolverine Marketplace to create a Purchase Order. A Requisition is not a Purchase Order and should not be treated as such.
  • A requisition must be approved and a purchase order completed prior to ordering any goods or services.

How do I check the status of my requisition?

What do I do if I have submitted a requisition and need a PO immediately?

  • First, check in Wolverine Marketplace to see if the requisition is fully approved. If the requisition has not been fully approved, see what approval step the requisition is currently in and contact the individual(s) who need to approve the requisition. Once the requisition has been approved and the requisition has been routed to Procurement & Contract Services, please contact the appropriate Buyer or our front desk (x8301) for assistance.

Can a requisition be changed after it has been completed?

  • A requisition can be returned to the original requester by any approver. Please contact the current approver to have them return the requisition to you for any necessary changes or edits.
  • See Wolverine Marketplace Online Training to learn how to use Wolverine Marketplace.

Can changes be made to a Purchase Order after it has been issued by Procurement?

  • Changes can be made to a Purchase Order after it has been issued by Procurement & Contract Services. Submit a Change Order Request Form in Wolverine Marketplace. All change order requests are reviewed and approved by the appropriate Buyer. Once your change order request has been reviewed and approved, your will be notified by Wolverine Marketplace.
  • See Wolverine Marketplace Online Training to learn how to use Wolverine Marketplace.

Can I submit a Requisition and get a Purchase Order to pay an individual?

  • Any services provided by an individual must be paid using the Independent Contractor form found on Wolverine Marketplace under Accounts Payable Forms.

What should I do if I don’t know the exact dollar amount of the items I would like to purchase?

  • It is important for requisitions to obtain financial approval for an accurate dollar amount that is being purchased. When creating a requisition, include accurate quantities and unit prices as much as possible. If you don’t know the exact dollar amount of the items you would like to purchase, please make an educated guess.

How should I indicate that items are free on my requisition?

  • If there are items on your order that are being provided by the vendor for free, please add them as a line on your requisition with a unit price amount of $0.
  • You should not use a $0 unit price amount if you do not know the exact price of your item. Zero dollar requisitions for items that actually have a cost will be returned to the requester.

How do I indicate that I need a standing order, or open PO, on my requisition?

  • If a standing order, or open PO, is needed, please click the appropriate checkbox on your requisition.
  • See Wolverine Marketplace Online Training to learn how to use Wolverine Marketplace.

When can I use a sole source procurement?

  • A sole source procurement may be used if a product or service is only available from a single supplier or for compatibility reasons.
  • If you are claiming your order is a sole source, please fill out the digital Sole Source form on Wolverine Marketplace and add it to your requisition, along with the actual items you are purchasing. Procurement will research your request, and if it is found to be a sole source, the requisition will be routed to obtain the proper approvals, including Vice President approval.
  • Note: Sole source procurements over $50,000 must be publicly advertised for at least 7 days.
  • See Wolverine Marketplace Online Training to learn how to use Wolverine Marketplace.

What should I do if the vendor I want to purchase from is not in Wolverine Marketplace?

  • When creating a requisition, if you are unable to find the vendor you want to purchase from, choose Vendor Not Known as the vendor and enter the vendor's information as a comment or internal note on the requisition. Please include all vendor information, including: company name, address, phone number, email, fax number, and any other pertinent ordering information.
  • See Wolverine Marketplace Online Training to learn how to use Wolverine Marketplace.

What is the policy regarding bids?

  • If the total purchase, including freight charges, will exceed the small-dollar threshold, the purchase must be competed among multiple vendors. This policy applies to any purchase regardless of fund source.
  • Please include enough detail in the requisition to allow Procurement & Contract Services to proceed with the bid process. You may include a list of vendors that you would like us to include in the bid process in a comment or internal note on the requisition. (Note: Purchasing may include other vendors in the bid process.)
  • See Purchasing Thresholds
  • See University policies 242 and 243
  • See Preparing Specifications and Scopes of Work

If the items I want to purchase are available on State Contract, is a bid needed?

  • If you are using a current State Contract, the purchase does not need to be competed.
  • See Utah State Contracts

If we don’t have time to do a bid, can I just do two requisitions so the amount will be under the bid threshold?

  • No. It is unlawful to artificially divide a procurement to avoid an established threshold. This includes submitting more than one requisition, making multiple transactions with a P-Card or LPC, or otherwise dividing the purchase.

I have changed my mind and no longer want to place an order. What should I do?

  • If a purchase order has been created, the order must be canceled with the vendor. Contact the vendor and cancel the order. Once the order has been canceled, contact the Buyer that issued the purchase order and provide the PO number, reason for the cancellation, and verification that the order has been canceled with the vendor.
  • If a purchase order has not been created and the requisition is still waiting for approvals, contact the current approver to have them return the requisition to you.
  • If a purchase order has not been created and the requisition is waiting for the Buyer to create a purchase order, contact the buyer to have them cancel the requisition.
  • A comment can be made on a requisition at any time throughout the approval process. Making a comment on a requisition is an easy way to notify an approver or Buyer about the desire to cancel a requisition.
  • See Wolverine Marketplace Online Training to learn how to use Wolverine Marketplace.

What do I do if I need to change the vendor on a purchase order?

  • Contact the Buyer that issued the purchase order and provide the PO number, the new vendor information, and reason for the change. The Buyer will work with you to complete the change.

What do I do if I receive an invoice?

What do I do if I receive my order placed with a PO directly from a vendor and not through the Receiving department?

What do I do to pay a vendor for services performed that were ordered with a PO?

What software is available for use on campus machines?

  • UVU has site licenses for common desktop software. Please contact the IT area technician for your department to inquire about software that is available to install.
  • Software not available via site license can be purchased using a P-Card or by submitting a requisition in Wolverine Marketplace.
  • If software is purchased using a P-Card, the cardholder will be required to provide additional information about the software when reconciling the purchase in Concur.

What is the University Computer Shop?

  • UVU has established procedures and standards for the purchase of desktop, laptop, and tablet computers in order to realize cost savings in volume purchasing and reduce the number of configurations that need to be supported.
  • Common accessories, parts, and other items are also available for order.
  • Orders can be placed on Wolverine Marketplace using the Computer Shop punchout catalog. A requisition will be generated and will be routed for approval.
  • Computers will be delivered to the IT area technician responsible for your department.
  • See the Computer Shop webpage for more information.

How do I determine if a proposed purchase is appropriate?

  • All items purchased by the University must have a clear business purpose that supports and/or advances the mission of the University.
  • As a Utah state institution of higher education, Utah Valley University must ensure that all University funds are only used to support appropriate University business.
  • To find out what expenditures are appropriate and inappropriate see Policy 204: Appropriateness of Expenditures.