Purchasing & Payments

All purchases made through the Research Foundation:

Must be made in accordance with RF Policy 501-D.
The project director is responsible for obtaining the invoice from a vendor and processing for payment in a timely manner (within the grant period), preferably within 30 days of purchase.
Must conform to approved award budget and sponsor requirements.
Are exempt from sales tax in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Missouri, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Tennessee; the RF is exempt from New York City Hotel Occupancy Taxes as well. There is no reimbursement for sales tax. Contact your OTPS Team if vendor requests a copy of our Tax Exempt Certificate.

Keep in mind that:

Funds must be committed before the termination date of the award. ALL EXPENDITURES MUST BE SUBMITTED WITHIN 60 DAYS AFTER THE BUDGET PERIOD END DATE!
Your college may have a role in the approval of expenditures.
The use of minority, disadvantaged, women-owned, and small business vendors is encouraged AND sometimes required. For a directory of Minority- and Women-Owned businesses in New York State, click here.
You will be held liable for all orders placed by your project staff directly to vendors; make sure ordering controls are in place and your Small Order Forms are stored securely.
Certain vendors have contracts with the State of New York and provide goods and services at discounted rates. Purchases made through the RF qualify for these rates.

Follow these steps:

Obtain telephone quotes from qualified vendors.
Prepare a Small Order Form if the vendor requires one.
Call your project administrator (at the Research Foundation) for an order number and fiscal approval if your sponsor requires one.
Order the item(s) directly from the supplier over the phone or by sending it the vendor copy of the Small Order Form.
After you receive the item, attach the vendor’s original invoice and the receiving copy of the Small Order Form (if applicable) to a completed Payment Request Form (RF 021) and forward to your OTPS Team for processing. Remember to sign and date the form.

To be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses:

Attach original itemized receipt to a completed Payment Request Form and forward to OTPS for processing. Be sure to fully document the purpose of each expenditure. For business meals, a list of attendees, and their project position, is required, along with a statement of the purpose for the meeting.
Requests for reimbursement of credit card charges must be accompanied by an itemized receipt, especially for business meals. Requests based on summary credit card charges only cannot be honored.

All associated forms are available from your campus Grants Office.

For orders totaling between $3,000 and $15,000 for city- or state-sponsored funds, or up to $25,000 for federally sponsored projects:

Prepare specifications of the items to be ordered.
Sponsors require that you obtain the best value for all purchases. While competitive written bids aren’t required for items in this price range, we encourage you to solicit them or to obtain telephone quotes when making purchases of significant amounts.
Review bids and select appropriate vendor.
Complete a Purchase Requisition Form (RF 208). Keep one copy for your records and send the original to the RF Purchasing Office, along with quotes and other supporting documentation as applicable.
The RF will issue a Purchase Order on your behalf, transmit it directly to the vendor, and forward a receiving copy and a file copy to you.
When the item arrives, sign the receiving copy of the P.O. to certify its receipt.
Attach the signed receiving copy and the original invoice to a completed Payment Request and forward the documents to OTPS Team for payment.
Important: Remember to sign and date your Payment Request.

For orders totaling over $15,000 (state- or city-sponsored) or $25,000 (federally sponsored or RF/agency funds):

Follow the same steps outlined above.
One additional step: At least three written bids must be obtained for such purchases and submitted with the purchase requisition. Bids are required at different thresholds depending on the sponsor. A written justification must be forwarded to substantiate sole vendor status.
For equipment costing $5000 or more per unit:
- Same steps as above, plus you must first verify that your college does not already own the same or similar equipment, or, if it does, that it is already fully in use during regular work hours. Fill out an Equipment Screening Certificate (RF 209) and have it certified by the appropriate college official, then forward it with your Purchase Requisition.