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Purchasing

Section 6.J.1 – Purchasing and Inventory Control

Pursuant to NC General Statute 115D-58.5, the College shall be governed in its purchasing of all supplies, equipment, and materials by contracts made by or with the approval of the Purchase and Contract Division of the Department of Administration except as provided in NC General Statute 115D-58.14- Purchasing Flexibility. These policies and procedures must be adhered to when purchasing supplies, equipment, and materials, regardless of the source of funds.

No contract shall be made by any member of the Board of Trustees for purchases unless provision has been made in the budget of the institution to provide payment thereof. In order to protect the State purchase contracts, must be paid promptly in accordance with the contract of purchase.

The Division of Purchase and Contract’s Purchasing Manual covers the State’s purchasing procedures in greater depth and should be the primary source for purchasing information and used in conjunction with the North Carolina Community College Purchasing and Equipment Procedures Manual. Likewise, if the College is making a purchase of information technology equipment through the auspices of the Office of Information Technology Services (ITS), guidance may be obtained in the North Carolina Information Technology Procurement Manual.

The State has established various contracts with vendors for many of the items required by the colleges on a day-to-day basis. Where there is a state contract, the College must purchase from this contract unless they are exercising a Purchasing Flexibility Option provided for in NC General Statute 115D-58.14. This option allows the community colleges to purchase items that are on a state term contract from other (non-certified) sources, if the purchase price including the cost of delivery, is less than the cost under the State Term Contract. VGCC will submit a report of these purchases to the State Board of Community Colleges as of June 30 and December 30. The College must comply with the following conditions:

  1. The item must be exactly the same, the same manufacturer, model, style, etc.
  2. The purchase price, including the cost of delivery, is lower than the state contract price
  3. The cost of the purchase does not exceed the College’s authorized purchasing delegation as established under NC General Statute 143-53.1
  4. The College must keep a detailed record of all purchases made from noncertified sources.

Good purchasing practices mandate that the College seeks competition for all purchases. In accordance with regulations prescribed in the NC Administrative Code 01 NCAC 05B .0301, the College has established the following purchasing delegations for the total cost (including tax, freight, etc.) of purchased goods and services not available on state term contract with respect to obtaining competitive pricing:

Small Purchases ($25,000 and under)

Written solicitation of competition is not required; however, multiple quotes should be sought if sufficient competition exists in the marketplace for a particular service or good and bid specifications can be objectively structured. Written informal quotes, fax or email quotes, or electronic quotes (submitted through E-Pro) received should be noted on the requisition in the comments area.

Informal Bidding (Over $25,000 and up to $50,000)

Written solicitation of competition is required. These written solicitations (RFQ) must be generated by the VGCC Purchasing Department, and incorporate North Carolina General Contract Terms and Conditions. The VGCC Purchasing Department will develop, issue/post, negotiate, and award these solicitations.

Formal Bidding (Over $50,000)

Written solicitation of competition is required. These written solicitations (IFB) must be generated by the VGCC Purchasing Department, and requires a competitive, sealed bidding process. The VGCC Purchasing Department will develop, issue/post, negotiate, and award these solicitations; however, the NC Division of Purchase and Contracts must review and approve these solicitations prior to posting (preliminary review) and prior to award.

It is a violation of purchasing regulations to split orders to avoid posting items for bidding. Any deviation from the above established purchasing delegations is subject to limitations imposed by the North Carolina Division of Purchase and Contracts and the Vice President of Finance and Operations for the College.

(approved May 16, 2022)

Section 6.J.2 – Environmentally Preferable Purchasing

Pursuant to Executive Order No. 156, North Carolina state agencies have a responsibility to environmental sustainability, reduction of waste, and the procurement of environmentally preferable products and services.

Vance-Granville Community College is committed to the use and purchase of environmentally and socially responsible materials and products. Environmentally and socially preferable products and services are those that are less detrimental to the environment and human health than competing products and services. By including environmental considerations in our purchasing decisions, along with concerns about sustainability, price, performance, and availability, Vance-Granville Community College will remain fiscally-responsible while attempting to promote practices that improve public health and safety, reduce pollution, and conserve natural resources. Employees authorized to make purchases on behalf of the College are expected to support our commitment to environmental responsibility.

Vance-Granville Community College shall develop specifications to encourage vendors to offer environmentally preferable and recycled-content products. Specifications shall not contain restrictive language or other barriers to purchasing environmentally preferable or recycled-content products, except where specifications are necessary to protect health, safety, and welfare.

(approved July 16, 2018)

Procedures

Recycling

  • When practicable, the College will acquire recycled-content products, including paper manufactured of at least 30 percent post-consumer recycled content.
  • All recyclable materials are to be recycled through the College recycling program. This includes, but is not limited to: paper, newspaper, cardboard, aluminum cans, plastic bottles and steel.
  • All toner, laser and inkjet cartridges shall be recycled.
  • Products that are durable, long lasting, reusable or refillable are preferred whenever feasible.
  • All documents shall be printed and copied on both sides to reduce the use and purchase of paper, whenever practical.
  • All surplus computers, notebooks, and monitors shall be disposed of through a State approved computer recycling program; or other ecologically responsible partners.

Energy & Water

  • All energy using products purchased by the College, including, but not limited to, appliances, electronics, lighting, office equipment, and heating and cooling shall meet the U.S. EPA Energy Star certification when available and practicable. When Energy Star labels are not available, consideration should be given to procure energy-efficient products that are in the upper 25% of energy efficiency as designated by the Federal Energy Management Program.
  • When practicable, the College will minimize the need for stand-alone printers, fax machines, copiers and scanners by networking computers to energy efficient multifunction devices.
  • Copiers and printers purchased shall be compatible with the use of recycled content and remanufactured products.
  • When practicable, the College shall replace inefficient interior lighting with energy efficient equipment.
  • When practicable, the College shall replace inefficient exterior lighting with energy efficient equipment. Exterior lighting shall be minimized where possible to avoid unnecessary lighting of architectural and landscape features while providing illumination for safety and accessibility.
  • The College shall purchase only the most water-efficient and economical appliances available. This includes, but is not limited to: high-performance fixtures like toilets, low-flow faucets and aerators; and upgraded irrigation systems.

Toxics & Pollution

  • When practicable, the College will give preference to procuring cleaning products that meet Green Seal certification standards for environmental preferability and performance.
  • All surfactants and detergents used shall be readily biodegradable and shall not contain phosphates
  • The College shall procure products with the lowest amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and low or no formaldehyde in materials such as paint, carpeting, adhesives, furniture and casework.
  • To the fullest extent possible, the College shall procure vacuum cleaners and carpet extraction equipment that maximize dust particle containment, with preference given to carpet floor cleaning equipment that meets the Carpet and Rug Institute Green Label Testing Program.
  • To the fullest extent possible, the College shall procure products and equipment with limited containment of lead or mercury. For products containing lead or mercury, preference should be given to those with lower quantities of these metals and to vendors with established lead and mercury recovery programs.
  • To the fullest extent possible, the College shall manage pest problems through the implementation of organic or integrated pest management systems when maintaining buildings and landscapes.
  • When replacing vehicles, the College shall consider less-polluting alternative fueling systems as available and economical.