The City of Columbia purchases a variety of goods and services. The requirements related to a particular purchase depends upon the amount of the total purchase.
Purchasing thresholds with accompanying purchasing procedure is presented below. Splitting purchases in order to stay under a particular purchasing threshold is prohibited.
| Purchasing Threshold | Payment Method | Requirements |
|---|
| Less than $4,000 | Procurement Card Preferred | PO Not Required, Quotes Encouraged |
| $4,000 to $25,000 | Invoice or Procurement Card | Three written quotes and PO Required |
| Greater than $25,000 | Invoice or Procurement Card | Formal Bid Process, Council Approval and PO Required |
Purchases less than $25,000 are normally handled directly by the user department. If required, the user department must secure a purchase order issued by the Purchasing Agent before an order can be placed.
Formal sealed bids, request for proposals or request for qualifications are handled through the Purchasing Agent.