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Considerations in Selecting a Vendor

Note: The information below pertains to purchases not being made with one of our university agreement vendors (see Agreement Lookup in Decision Support for a list). If funding is coming from an outside agency, you should always check to see if there are any restrictions on the type(s) of vendors that can be chosen.

When choosing a vendor, you should consider the following:

• Conflict of Interest
  Per university policy, it is important to avoid any and all conflicts of interest. Employees must disqualify themselves from participating in university decisions in which they have a personal financial interest. This includes purchasing from:
  • spouses/relatives/near-relatives
  • companies for which the purchaser/decision-maker has stock ownership
  • current/former UCD employees. See policy.

  In addition to the conflict of interest situations described above, employees who work for the UC Davis Health System and health professional schools (e.g., medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, optometry, veterinary medicine) should be aware of the Health Care Vendor Relations Policy. This policy has additional restrictions on vendor compensation and gifts to departments and also discusses vendors entering and/or working in patient care areas. See the FAQ for more information.

  A Conflict of Interest Form should be completed if there is any concern of a possible conflict of interest.
  
  

• Ethical Considerations
  Choose vendors for the quality and prices of the goods and services they provide. Avoid gifts or gratuities from vendors.
  
  
• Price Justification
  When conducting a delegated purchase you should price compare at least three different vendors. Although departments may have a preferred vendor, it's important to comparison shop and to allow equal opportunity to vendors that may not have been used previously. The vendor chosen should be the one that offers high quality items or services at the lowest overall cost. Click here for more information on the price justification process.
  
  
• Sole Source
  There may be some situations where a highly-specialized item is only available from one vendor. In other words, no other vendor has the item, or research dictates that only the requested vendor can provide the item for research continuity. Sole Source requests must be processed through Purchasing on a Requisition. Visit the Sole Source Justifications page for more information.

In addition to the concerns listed above, which are an important part of our stewardship of university funds, the following programs should be considered when selecting a vendor:

• Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises
  The Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) Participation Program was established to acknowledge disabled veterans for their service and to further their participation in California state contracting, promote competition and encourage greater economic opportunity. Some state contracts may require the formal consideration of DVBE vendors. Click here for a current list.

• Small Business Program
  The university is subject to the rules and regulations of the Small Business Administration which facilitates equal opportunity in business contracting. Some federally-funded accounts (contracts) require the university to purchase from small disadvantaged and women-owned businesses. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Strategic Sourcing & Small Business Program. The university Small Business Program satisfies State, Federal and other publicly funded program requirements. Click here for a current list of certified California small businesses.

Once you have carefully selected your vendor the Purchasing Decision Chart will help you identify options for your purchase.