
Written by Chanelle Corpening.
The university’s procurement process is established and monitored by the Division of Purchase and Contract (P&C) within the North Carolina Department of Administration (NC DOA). The NC State Procurement Services team ensures compliance with state statutes and regulations by adhering to the tenets of the established process. This adherence promotes transparency, fair competition and responsible stewardship of public funds.
In certain circumstances, exceptions to the standard procurement process may be appropriate. These exceptions include:
- Commodities and services not subject to competition
- Exceptions to State Term Contract or NC State MarketPlace use
- Instances involving waivers of competitive bidding due to statutory allowances or unique purchasing needs
Commodities and Services Not Subject to Competition
When specific criteria are met, direct payments in the form of a campus voucher may be used to bypass the purchase requisition or contract process. These criteria are categorized as special category codes, which identify the justification for avoiding the standard procurement process. There are exception codes for:
- Purchases less than $5,000
- Purchases exceeding $5,000
What else you need to know: The selected special category code must be submitted on the campus voucher line.
Learn more about purchases exempt from the competitive bid process.
Exceptions to State Term Contracts or NC State MarketPlace Use
A purchase may be exempt from using a State Term Contract or the NC State MarketPlace under the following valid conditions:
- Better price available elsewhere
- Product or service not meeting specifications
- Urgent need or emergency purchase
- Local vendor preference or support of Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs)
- Availability or lead time
What else you need to know: If the item is available through the State Term Contract or NC State MarketPlace, the reason for the exception must be clearly documented in the requisition comments.
Learn more about selecting suppliers.