Purchase Orders

Certain goods and services require the issuance of a Purchase Order (PO). A requisition, which is a request for a Purchase Order, must be submitted to the Purchasing Team in order to be initiated. Any goods and services that require the issuance of a Purchase Order, cannot be ordered and work cannot commence until a requisition has been approved by Central Purchasing and a Purchase Order has been issued. Central Purchasing can and has in the past rejected Purchase Order requests for work already completed. If you have questions, please contact the Purchasing Team at [email protected].

Noteworthy
  • PO eligible vendor profile must be available in ARC to request a PO
  • Work must not commence until after the Purchase Order has been approved by Central Purchasing. NO work can be billed until a PO is issued.
  • PO in the amount of $10,000 or more require a minimum of two (2) competitive bids
  • Consultants must include their travel expenses on the invoice as part of their service as it is work-related and therefore taxable to them. 

Request a Purchase Order

Send an email to [email protected] to confirm what documents you will need to submit in support of your PO request/requisition:

Request a PO

Submit a request to [email protected] with the Subject: Purchase Order - Vendor Name and include all appropriate information, and attach all required documents for a requisition to be initiated.

Catering (with wait staff)
  1. Department Name
  2. Goods/Service Summary (what are we paying for?)
  3. Vendor Name
  4. Vendor Email
  5. SpeedChart and SpeedChart Description

     Attachments:

  1. Invoice
  2. $10k+ 1 bid
  3. $25k+ 2 bids
  4. NYS Liquor Permit (if applicable)
Service Provider
  1. Department Name
  2. Vendor Name
  3. Vendor Email
  4. SpeedChart and SpeedChart Description

      Attachments:

  1. Scope of Work

If services necessitate a contract, please answer the following questions:

  1. Will any service be performed on Columbia premises? [Y/N]
  2. Does this contract include cloud services or vendor access to CU systems? [Y/N] If Yes, has it been approved by CUIT data security?
  3. Will this supplier process credit card payments on behalf of Columbia? [Y/N]
  4. Will the supplier collect or receive personal data from CU or from users under this agreement? [Y/N]
  5. Does Supplier require that we sign their Data Privacy Agreement (DPA)? [Y/N]
  6. Is this contract of a sensitive nature requiring discretion where limited/controlled access is required? [Y/N]
  7. Did you provide all required supporting documents and agreements for this request? [Y/N]

List of Documents

Submit as applicable with your initial PO request.

Quote(s)

  • Required for all purchases over $10,000 (minimum of one bid)
  • If the purchase exceeds $25,000, two bids are required

Client List

  • If the vendor cannot provide a list of clients, an email explanation must be submitted

Resume / Company Brochure

Scope of Work (SOW)

Certificate of Insurance (COI) 

NYS Liquor Permit (if applicable)

Service Provider Agreement (if applicable)

Independent Contractor Certification (ICC)

  • Required each time the contractor is engaged
  • Certificate Holder: “The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York”
  • Description of Operations: “The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, its trustees, officers, agents and employees as additional insured.”

Goods & Services Requiring a PO

The following requires the issuance of a Purchase Order prior to commencing work, when the amount of the purchase is $2,500 or more: 

  • Promotional Purchases 

To access the list of approved promotional vendors click on this link: Promotional Vendors

The following requires the issuance of a Purchase Order prior to commencing work, when the amount of the purchase is $10,000 or more:

  • Advertising
  • Printing
  • Subscriptions
  • Rental Services

The following requires the issuance of a Purchase Order prior to commencing work:

  • Presenter/Speaker
  • Seminar/Workshop Facilitator
  • Graphic Designers
  • Audio/Video Editors
  • Software/Licensing
  • Translators (on-campus)
  • Interpreters (on-campus)
  • Catering (on-campus)
  • Business & Strategic Consultants
  • General Research