Procurement Services 202: Blanket Purchase Orders

Purpose

To expedite purchases of miscellaneous supplies or services, especially recurring orders of small value

Reference

University of Alaska Procurement Manual (not available online) Board of Regents Policy & Regulation 05.06.400

Definitions

Blanket Purchase Order: A contract for a specified period between the university and a vendor to furnish the commodities or services specified in the order on a periodic release basis and, generally, at favorable discount. The Blanket Purchase Order is available for use by multiple departments.  A Blanket Purchase Order (BPO), established by Procurement Services with various vendors, is a simplified and convenient method of making recurring purchases of a large variety of low-value supplies and services. BPO's are used to purchase miscellaneous items, when the exact quantity of the items cannot be determined at the time of issuing the order.

Policy

Departments may initiate a BPO by obtaining a funded call number from the Banner Financial system for a purchase of up to the small-value threshold of $5,000. The system encumbers the amount against the department budget. See Financial Systems website for detailed instructions on obtaining Blanket Purchase Order call numbers. 
Note: Departments must route small-value printing purchases through Printing Services to obtain a call number. Printing Services will select a printer with the capabilities to fill the order.
Click here to see the UAA Blanket Purchase Order Vendor List.
Click here for Banner Finance Documentation instructions for BPO Call Numbers.

Effective: 10/25/2005