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The Procurement Services department is responsible for purchasing the goods and services under the College’s policies and the State of Idaho’s statutes and maintaining ethical and effective business practices. Our department is committed to providing the highest level of customer service, efficiency, and integrity in its duty to obtain the goods and services necessary for the College to fulfill its educational mission. Procurement Services is the sole area delegated authority by the Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services and the Board of Trustees to issue all purchase orders.
Invoices should be emailed to accounts.payable@cei.edu or mailed to College of Eastern Idaho at 1600 S 25th E, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83404. Please call (208) 535-5415 further questions.
Procurement Services Policies
The Procurement Services department encourages vendors to connect with us about opportunities to do business with the college. If you are interested in doing business with CEI, please complete and submit the application to purchasing@cei.edu.
Please Note: Submission of your information ensures that your company is registered with the college. It does not guarantee that you will be contacted for all purchases needing a quotation or bid.
No individual college employee has the authority to obligate the college funds for procurement without the official purchase order issued by the Procurement Services department. Any transaction without such approval is considered a personal obligation of the individual and not payable with College funds. CEI employees are authorized to make purchases with their CEI-issued credit cards according to the college’s purchasing card policy.
Vendors/Contractors on campus: Any vendor or contractor working on the CEI main campus or the outreach locations must provide their Worker’s Compensation certificate.
Competitive Solicitations
Purchases by the College of Eastern Idaho are governed by CEI Policy #214 and State of Idaho statutes.
Types of Solicitations
Request for Quote (RFQ)
An RFQ is an informal solicitation (less than $100,000) submitted to potential suppliers/vendors eliciting quotations for a good or service. Typically, an RFQ seeks an itemized list of prices for something well-defined and quantifiable.
Invitation to Bid (ITB)
An ITB is a formal solicitation ($100,000 or greater), usually for goods, that identifies item descriptions and required specifications. Suppliers are asked to provide cost information for each item listed. The award is made to the vendor(s) with the lowest cost that meets specifications. The award may be made by line item or in total.
Request for Proposal (RFP)
An RFP is a formal solicitation ($50,000 or higher), usually for services, that provides an evaluation process for important elements to be considered, such as technical expertise, specialized capability, knowledge, and experience. The decision to buy is not made on cost alone. Points are assigned to each essential element in addition to the cost. The award is made to the responsive, responsible proposer whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to CEI based on the evaluation factors described in the RFP.
Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
An RFQ is a formal solicitation ($50,000 or greater), usually for professional services, that provides an evaluation process of the professional’s qualifications relevant to a specific project. Each proposal is scored according to predetermined criteria. The award is made to the responsive, responsible proposer whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to CEI and is the most qualified for the project. Cost is not considered in the evaluation and selection of the professional.
Responsibility of Suppliers/Vendors
- Read all requirements in a solicitation thoroughly and refer questions to the CEI Procurement Services individual named in the solicitation prior to the deadlines specified in the solicitation document.
- Pay close attention and follow the instructions in the solicitation regarding when and how to submit bids/offers.
- All solicitation documents must be properly signed and executed in the designated place(s). Signatures in ink are a requirement in some areas to properly execute the response.
- Solicitations must be received by the date and time indicated in the solicitation document. Late offers will not be considered.
Available Quotes, Bids, RFPs, and RFQs
Current Procurement Notices can be found listed below. To access the pdf document, please complete the form. It is the vendor’s responsibility to notify the Procurement Services department of intent to submit a quote, bid, or proposal to receive addendums or other related information.
No bid opportunities at this time.
Guides & Training
- Procurement Services and Accounts Payable Guidelines
- How To Approve Requisitions
- P-card Two-Factor Authentication
- Requisition Creation Request (PDF)
- Requisition Creation Video Training
- Zion’s Commercial Card Expense Statement Steps
Procurement Services Forms
- Cell Phone Request
- Commercial Card Application and Agreement
- Commercial Card Maintenance Form
- Commercial Card Missing Receipt Form
- Parental Authorization Form for Minors
- Property Disposal Request
- Reimbursement
- Student Travel Conduct Waiver
- Travel Authorization
- Travel Expense Direct Deposit Agreement
- Travel Expense Report
Tax Forms
- CEI ST-101 Form (Sales Tax Resale or Exemption Certificate)
- CEI ST-104 Form (Sales Tax Exemption on Lodging Accommodations)
- CEI W-9 Form
- Dollar Tree Barcode
- Home Depot Tax Exemption
What is the process for traveling?
When traveling within the designated travel area (see Travel Policy #411) and no expenses are being claimed, and within normal working hours, a Travel Authorization form is not required. If the travel will have expenses, extends outside the normal working hours, or is outside of the travel area, an approved Travel Authorization is required. The completed form is submitted to procurement before traveling. After the travel is completed, the traveler fills out the Travel Expense form, has their supervisor approve it, and submits it to the Procurement Services department for reimbursement. Note: If an employee travels with a student, Travel Authorization is required regardless of the destination and expense.
Who signs the contracts for CEI?
All contracts must be signed by the Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services.
When are requisitions/purchase orders required?
Requisitions/purchase orders are to be completed before the purchase is made.
Requisitions are required for all purchases over $149.99, except Catered Your Way and Follett Bookstore. Requisitions are required for all Catered Your Way events and bookstore purchases (See the related questions below).
Small purchases may be made on your P-card when they are one-time purchases or from a vendor that does not accept purchase orders. Travel may be made on your P-card (See Policy 215 for P-card guidelines). If the vendor is set up in the system, the requisition/purchase order process should be followed.
Purchases that do not require requisitions/purchase orders are:
Purchases under $149.99, unless Catered Your Way or Follett Bookstore (See other FAQs regarding this topic)
Travel Reimbursements
Reimbursements
What is the difference between a requisition and a purchase order?
A requisition is a document created in Colleague Self-Service that details supplies, materials, or services needed by the department. The Procurement Services department sources the request and issues a purchase order based on this document.
A purchase order, created by Procurement, is a document sent to the vendor to order supplies, materials, and services and formalize all the terms and conditions of the purchase. It is the official document notifying the college that it has authorized the purchase and will pay for it.
The College does not guarantee any purchase made outside of this process and can be the responsibility of the individual who placed the order.
What is the approval process?
The budget owner has the authority to approve requisitions in the dollar range of $.01 to $4,999.99. If the purchase is $5,000.00 and higher, the supervisor (or, in some cases, the Vice President) of the budget owner will approve the requisition in addition to the budget owner.
Example 1
Jane must purchase $2,500.00 worth of office supplies for the Business Office. She will create a requisition charging the Business Office budget account. Bob, who is the budget owner, will approve the requisition. The Procurement Services department will receive the requisition and proceed to obtain a quote or issue the purchase order.
Example 2
Jane must purchase a shelving system for the Business Office’s Receiving room, totaling $6,000.00. She will do a requisition charging the Business Office budget account. Bob, is the budget owner, so he will approve the requisition. Since the dollar amount exceeds his spending limit, his supervisor, Bill, will approve the requisition. The Procurement Services department will receive the requisition and or issue the purchase order.
What is the Catered Your Way process?
Prior to an event that your department is having, talk to the Catered Your Way personnel and have them provide a quote (contract) for the catering. The requestor will do a requisition and deliver the requisition and contract to the Procurement Services department to issue a purchase order. Accounts Payable will receive the invoice from Catered Your Way and will email the requestor for documentation to provide the reason of the meeting (minutes, agenda, announcement). Accounts Payable will also email the budget owner for approval of the payment.
What is the process for purchasing materials and supplies through the bookstore?
The department will create a requisition to Follett Bookstore with the estimated dollar amount they will spend for the semester or budget year. Once approved, Procurement will generate the purchase order and give it to the bookstore. The bookstore will add the amount to your department’s account. When purchasing, provide the purchase order number and your department to the cashier so the charge can be applied to your account.
What do I do if the vendor I want to use is not in the system?
If a purchase needs to be made with a vendor not in the Colleague system, enter the requisition without a vendor listed but list the vendor information in the notes section. Refer the vendor to the Procurement Vendor webpage to complete the vendor application.
Who obtains quotes?
The department requesting supplies, materials and/or service can obtain a quote if it is under $5,000. If the cost is higher, work with the Procurement Services department to get the quote/bid. Note: Procurement Services can sometimes get better prices and is willing to get quotes for any dollar amount.
What are the purchasing dollar thresholds and what process do I do?
Purchases are divided into dollar amount thresholds. The requirements are:
A P-card can be used for purchases below $2,000 if the vendor is not established in the Colleague system. If the vendor is established, a purchase order is required.
$2,000 and above, a purchase order is required. Exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Talk to the Procurement Services department.
For $50,000 to $150,000, three formal quotes from the Procurement Services department and a purchase order are required.
$150,000 and above, a formal sealed bid, RFQu or RFP and a purchase order are required.
When is the last time I can purchase items for the budget year?
The end of the College’s budget year is June 30th. Most purchases have to be received and invoiced before that date in order for the budget charged. If the purchase is received and invoiced after that date, the charge may be applied to the new year budget. The Procurement Services department would prefer that all requisitions be approved and completed by May 1st or earlier.
Do travel reimbursements or miscellaneous reimbursements need to have a requisition completed?
Reimbursements do not have to have a requisition/purchase order. A Travel Expense form must be completed if the reimbursement is for travel. If the reimbursement is for miscellaneous supplies, the Reimbursement form must be completed. The forms are on the Procurement/Employee Forms and Training Guides page.