Doing Business with the City
The City of Columbia purchases a variety of goods and services. The requirement related 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 $4000.00 |
Procurement Card Preferred |
PO Not Required , Quotes Encouraged |
| $4000 - $25000.00 |
Invoice or Procurement Card |
Three written quotes and PO Required |
| Greater than $25000 |
Invoice or Procurement Care |
Formal Bid Process, Council Approval & 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.