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Overview

The Purchasing Department is the central purchasing authority for Princeton University. We are responsible for managing the procurement process on a University-wide level, including orders, contracts and legal agreements, to support Princeton’s educational, research and community support initiatives. We strive to accomplish this goal as economically as possible, within acceptable standards of quality and service, while utilizing professional ethics and best business practices throughout the entire procurement process.

Originally identified as the Office of the Director of Purchases, the Purchasing Department was established in 1945 to provide more efficient, centralized facilities for the procurement of equipment, supplies and services during the post-War era.

As described in 1945, the mission and objectives of this office remained fundamentally the same since its inception:

• Obtain all goods and services necessary for the students, faculty and staff in the most cost-effective and efficient manner.
• Provide value-added service to support the teaching and research consistent with the mission of the institution.
• Maintain a commitment to excellence through professional ethics and best business practices.
• Ensure compliance with all university, state and federal regulations.
• Encourage open competition among vendors through fair negotiation, competitive bidding and contract buying.

In the period since it’s inception, the Purchasing Department has undergone many changes while keeping those three primary objectives in mind in an effort to remain on the leading edge of technology while providing timely, efficient and cost-effective service.

Today, the Purchasing Department is responsible for the following:

• Purchasing goods/services;
• Negotiating vendor contracts;
• Departmental credit card program;
• Capital equipment inventory;
• Surplus property reuse, resale and disposal.

The Purchasing department plays a central role in the major category of commitments to external entities. It has the primary purchasing authority for the University, including responsibility for managing procurement, developing efficient tools for use on a University-wide basis and developing strategies to facilitate commitments to buy goods and services. Over time, purchasing authority has been delegated to select administrative departments having significant expertise in a specialized area. Refer to page 7 of the Transaction Authority Report for a list of categories of delegated commodities.

Purchasing Brochures - The Purchasing Department has made several brochures available in an effort to provide more information for our campus community and service providers.