University College Cork (UCC): Procurement to Payment

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Introduction

The University purchases in excess of ? 30M worth of goods and services each year, representing about 40 % of total University Expenditure. The expenditure extends across a diverse range of goods and services that include highly complex Equipment, Computers, Travel, Banking as well as low value items such as Stationery and Cleaning Materials.

In order to achieve value for money for every Euro spend it is essential that ground rules are established which will satisfy legal and ethical requirements without imposing too heavy an administrative burden on those making the purchases. The Purchasing Manual sets out the ground rules and has been approved by the University Finance Committee, Governing Body and Audit Committee.

All purchases of supplies and services are governed by the following core values:

Achieving efficiency, effectiveness and best value for money in terms of overall life cycle costs.
Customer focus.
Dealing with quality suppliers, contractors and service providers.
Operating in a fair, open, transparent and non-discriminatory manner in the market place.
Complying with all relevant European and National legislation.
Operating to the highest ethical standards.

The following basic principles are quoted for your compliance

It is a basic principle of Government Procurement that competitive tendering should always be used.
Tax Clearance Certificates are obligatory in all cases where orders or cumulative orders exceed ?6,348 annually.
National Guidelines apply, not only to formal written contracts, but also to all procurements and disposals.
If a contract exceeds the current financial threshold in the EU Directives, the contract shall be open for competition across all EU Countries and shall be advertised in the supplement to the Official Journal to the EU (OJEU).
EU Public Procurement Directives shall be followed where a project is wholly of part funded by EU Institutions. This applies to all research contracts and capital projects.

The Purchasing Manual embraces purchasing policy and procedures. The regulations contained in the manual are intended to compliment the financial regulations. If clarification or further information is required the Procurement Office will be delighted to offer any assistance or guidance.

During the coming months contracts for various goods and services will be established. Details relating to all contracts will available on the Procurement Office Web Page.

The Procurement and Contracts Manager would welcome any comments on this Manual and on any other aspect of Purchasing.

Sean Barry
Procurement and Contracts Manager