Procurement Policy

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that Rhode Island School of Design ("RISD") is using its resources in an equitable and consistent manner, to ensure all procurement activity meets applicable regulatory requirements and that the school maintains a competitive sourcing environment.

This policy covers all purchases made with RISD funds and/or purchases made on behalf of RISD.

RISD requires that faculty, staff, students or any other individual who purchases goods or services with college funds shall base the purchases on sound business practice, achieving best value and accountability.

Whenever possible, purchases on behalf of RISD should be made from RISD preferred vendors and/or suppliers in order to reduce administrative burden and help achieve competitive pricing.

Request for Proposal (“RFP”): a formal bidding process managed by Procurement Services. All Capital and campus-wide projects must go through the RFP process.

Sole Source Procurement: defined as any contract entered into without a competitive process, based on a justification that only one known source exists or that only one single supplier can fulfill the requirements.To be considered a sole source, a Procurement Exception Request must be submitted and approved by Procurement Services.

Independent Contractor: in general, an individual worker who has the freedom of control over their work independent of RISD to determine the methods and means of completing the contracted work with their own tools and materials. The Independent Contractor also has an established business and offers their services to the general public and has more than one client.

The Procurement Policy is intended to ensure that RISD resources are used properly in purchasing activities. Consistent compliance to the policy ensures assurance that purchasing activities meet regulatory requirements and follow sound business practice for acquisitions, contracts and third-party arrangements.

RISD expects individuals to make sound and ethical purchasing and contracting decisions that will ensure the continued and efficient operation of the college.

Purchasing Methods

1. RISD Purchase Orders
   The vast majority of purchases made by RISD should be done with a Purchase Order (“PO”). Employees should create a Requisition for Goods/Services through the Workday system. Requisitions will be routed for approval depending upon the funding source. Once the requisition is approved, a PO is created and issued to the supplier.
   
2. RISD Credit Cards
   RISD offers two credit card programs:
   a) the Procurement Card (“PCard”), and
   b) the Travel Entertainment (“T&E”) Card

Used properly, the PCard and the T&E card are tools that offer an efficient payment method for the purchase of eligible goods and services. The PCard is a corporate card designed to delegate limited purchasing authority and to provide cardholders the ability to quickly and conveniently acquire approved goods and services directly from suppliers that accept the VISA credit card. The PCard can be used to purchase non-capital goods or services that cannot be placed with a purchase order, up to the cardholder’s authorized spending limit. Purchases over the cardholder’s authorized spending limit should be ordered with a purchase order created in Workday.

The T&E Card is the primary payment method for travel and entertainment expenses incurred by RISD employees. RISD employees who take at least two business trips per year and/or incur entertainment expenses totaling $4,000 or more per year as part of their job responsibilities are encouraged to apply for a T&E Card. A request form for the RISD credit cards may be found on the Procurement Services website. A request does not guarantee the issuance of a card. The designated RISD employee must then sign the Cardholder Agreement.

Bid & Quote Requirements (for RISD Funding and Sponsored Funding)

Up to $10,000: one (1) written quote required.

Up to $25,000: two (2) quotes/bids are required from suppliers. Quotes should be submitted to Procurement with the purchase requisition via Workday or to epro@risd.edu with applicable attachments. If the low bidder is not selected, a short explanation must also be submitted in writing to the Procurement Services Department. All capital projects must go through the RFP process.

$25,000 and Above: Three (3) written quotes/bids are required from suppliers. Large, institution-wide capital projects require a formal Request for Proposal ("RFP") process. An effective RFP process takes several months; therefore, Procurement should be engaged in the project planning process as early as possible. Initiate the RFP process by emailing epro@risd.edu.

Sole Source Procurement

Procurement by non-competitive bidding must meet one of the following requirements and a Procurement Exception Request must be submitted and approved by Procurement Services.

• Item is only available from a single source;
• After solicitation of proposals, alternative competitors are deemed inadequate;
• Compatibility with existing machinery or software is mandatory.

Micro Purchases

Purchases under $10,000 are encouraged to have multiple bids where appropriate, but this is not generally required. Workday punchout catalog vendors should be utilized whenever possible.

Furniture Purchases

Departmental furniture purchase inquiries/requests should be directed to Procurement. Please note that the standard lead time on commercial furniture is 5-6 weeks from order date, so it is important to submit furniture inquiries well in advance in order for effective sourcing and bidding (if applicable) to occur, and for delivery and installation to take place by the department’s need-by date. RISD has established relationships with several service-oriented, commercial furniture vendors and designers that are able to source numerous lines of high-quality, warrantied furniture. Procurement can assist departments by facilitating on-site vendor consults for needs assessment, sourcing, and identification of options. The process for large, capital furniture projects is that Campus Planning/Facilities engages Procurement, as early as possible, especially for those projects that require an RFP process.

Office Supply Purchases

Standard office supply purchases should be made with WB Mason, as Procurement has negotiated contract pricing with this vendor that is based on volume spend of commonly used office supplies that are purchased by most campus departments. These purchases must be made through RISD’s E-procurement Workday system.

*Of note, please do not access the WB Mason online catalog through a general internet search, as those are public prices that will not reflect RISD’s discounted contract pricing. This applies to other vendors as well (B&H, Grainger, etc.).

Contracts

Procurement Services oversees the review and execution of all contracts, independent contractor agreements, and other financial documents requiring a college official’s signature.All contracts need to be reviewed and approved by Procurement Services prior to signature.

Contract policy applies to any agreement regardless of the dollar amount associated with the contract.RISD contract signing authority lies with the SVP or the President. The SVP or President have authorization to delegate authority to legally bind the institution.Please refer to the Contract Signature Matrix, found via this link. The initiating department will be the contract holder and is responsible for management of its terms.

Preferred Vendor

Procurement has negotiated pricing agreements and established relationships with several vendors either directly or through consortium membership. Placing orders through the public website or online catalog of these vendors (outside of E-Procurement catalogs) will not reflect RISD’s pricing and may also result in sales tax charges; therefore, please check with Procurement to assist with sourcing and ensuring correct pricing.

Computer/IT Purchases

For computer and network printer purchases, please contact the IT Services Department.

Hiring Consultants or Independent Contractors

To assure compliance, RISD has implemented a process for determining whether it is appropriate to retain and pay an individual worker as an independent contractor rather than as an employee. The full process must be completed before the individual is formally retained and begins to perform services. The required forms and process are located on the Accounts Payable Website.

This policy was created on: 9/30/2023

Review annually on the following date or as required by law: August 1st

Responsible Officer

Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration

Issuing Office

Controller's Office

Individuals/offices required for review and changes

Controller

Director of Procurement Services