Purchasing Guidelines

In discharging purchasing responsibilities, all employees of Texas A&M University to whom purchasing authority has been delegated must maintain a standard of conduct in accordance with the System Ethics Policy 07.01, Ethics.

Texas A&M University subscribes to the following purchasing guidelines:

  1. Give first consideration to the System Policies and the Code of Ethics, Section 4, Texas A&M University System Contract Management Handbook (as updated).
  2. Strive to obtain the best value for the products or services to be procured. Best value shall be determined through the consideration of the following elements as appropriate to a given solicitation: purchase price; reputation of the vendor and of the vendor’s goods or services; quality of the vendor’s goods or services; extent to which the goods or services meet the University’s needs; the vendor’s past performance with the University; impact on the ability of the University to comply with laws and rules relating to Historically Underutilized Businesses and to the procurement of goods and services from persons with disabilities; total cost of ownership to the University of acquiring vendor’s goods and services.
  3. Grant all competitive suppliers equal consideration insofar as state or federal statute and institutional policy permit.
  4. Conduct business with potential and current suppliers in an atmosphere of good faith, devoid of intentional misrepresentation or preferential treatment.
  5. Communicate the necessity of honesty in supplier representations whether offered through the medium of a verbal or written statement, an advertisement, or a sample of the product.
  6. Receive consent of originator of proprietary ideas and designs before using them for competitive purchasing purposes.
  7. Make every reasonable effort to negotiate an equitable and mutually agreeable settlement of any controversy, discrepancy, or disagreement with a supplier; and/or be willing to submit any major disagreements to dispute resolution processes insofar as the established System policies allow.
  8. Accord a prompt and courteous reception to supplier inquiries.
  9. Cooperate with trade, industrial and professional associations, and with governmental and private agencies for the purposes of promoting and developing sound business practices.
  10. Foster fair, ethical, and legal trade practices