Skip to main content

Bids by Purchasing and Strategic Sourcing

Departments/schools can request that Purchasing and Strategic Sourcing perform a competitive bid or negotiate on their behalf. In addition to simply providing advice to departments and schools if they are going to solicit bids on their own, Procurement and Payment Services can provide different levels of more formal support:

  • Purchasing and Strategic Sourcing can assist in evaluation of proposals if department/school issues an Invitation to Bid to establish a contract
  • Purchasing and Strategic Sourcing can manage the entire ITB process, involving the department/school (see Strategic Sourcing)

The benefits associated with having Purchasing and Strategic Sourcing manage the entire procurement process for significant purchases or when a strategic relationship needs to be established include the following:

  • Purchasing and Strategic Sourcing has established a formal, structured, and consistent process for conducting bids (which includes the use of several established templates), which allows for a more informed decision to be made. All documents have already been reviewed by the Office of General Counsel (OGC).
  • Purchasing and Strategic Sourcing knows the purchasing process, key vendors in various industries, other customers (i.e. University contacts), methods for benchmarking prices to make sure the University is getting the best deal, and how to negotiate. Purchasing and Strategic Sourcing will also make sure the contract is appropriately reviewed by OGC and signed by an authorized person at the University.
  • Department/school personnel will be involved throughout the entire process (i.e. to help define requirements, evaluate proposals, and select a vendor).
  • Purchasing and Strategic Sourcing will hold these vendors accountable to make sure the expectations of the department/school are being met, resolve disputes, review changes, etc.

To request assistance with the procurement process, please contact Procurement and Payment Services at procurement@northwestern.edu or 847-491-8120.