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FISCAL MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS GUIDE

Sole Source and Proprietary Purchases

Generally, all purchases are made on a competitive bid basis. However, there may be a reason to request a Sole Source/Proprietary item. Whenever this situation occurs and the estimated cost exceeds $2,000.00 for State and Grand funds or $2,500.00 for local funds, justification for an exclusive vendor or brand must be included. The justification must address the following issues and must be routed to Purchasing by the department's signature authority. The legitimacy of the Justification will then be reviewed by Purchasing.

1. Justify the need for the product or service.
2. Identify the unique features of the product or service.
3. Explain the reasons that competitive products or services will not meet functional requirements.
4. Explain why this product or service cannot be procured from any other service.