For approvals, please prepare all necessary documents, including exception forms where needed, and ensure adherence to Northwestern policy. As a reminder, all approvers in workflow are responsible for ensuring policy compliance. Supporting documentation should enable Northwestern expenses to stand up to robust audits and expedite workflow.
Requisitions (REQ) are budget-checked and require approval in NUFinancials prior to being sourced into a Purchase Order (PUR) and sent to the vendor. Payment Requests (PRQ) are also budget-checked and require the same approvals as requisitions in NUFinancials. Below are some of the approvals that may be required, depending on the type of purchase. See approval information based on purchase type.
Job aids: Approvals in MyHR Learn and Knowledge Base
Purchase Approval Details
Purchase type approval information
| Purchase |
Details |
| Purchases Less Than $25,000 (excluding Blanket Orders) |
Departments and schools have the authority to make purchases less than $25,000 without the approval of PPS |
| Purchases of $25,000 or More |
Requisitions of $25,000 or more will require the approval of PPS |
| Blankets valued between $0 and $250,000 |
Must be reviewed by one of the Procurement Analysts |
| Non-Catalog Requisitions between $25,000 and $250,000 |
Must be reviewed by one of the assigned Procurement Administrators |
| All Payment Requests of $250,000 or more AND All Requisitions (non-catalog and blanket) of $250,000 or more |
Must be reviewed by the Assistant Vice President of PPS, Jim Konrad |
| Restricted Commodities |
May require special steps and/or an additional electronic approval from the Office of Research Safety |
| Purchases of $5,000 or more using grant/sponsored project funds |
Require the approval of Accounting Services for Research and Sponsored Projects (ASRSP) |
PPS will not approve Requisitions that do not comply with Purchasing Policy. Detailed information will be communicated to the department/school when a Requisition is not approved.
Approval Details by Purchase Type
Purchases Less Than $25,000
Departments and schools have the authority to make purchases less than $25,000 without the approval of Procurement and Payment Services (PPS).
- Departments/schools are expected to follow policy and are strongly encouraged to utilize Preferred Vendors whenever possible.
- It is recommended that departments/schools make decisions based on a competitive bid process for all purchases of $5,000 or more, unless a Preferred Vendor is utilized.
- Departments/schools may implement up to three internal approvals in NUFinancials as follows:
- Level 1 – 0 to $1,499
- Level 2 – $1,500 to $4,999
- Level 3 – $5,000 or more
All Requisitions for blanket purchase orders will require the approval of PPS, regardless of dollar value.
Purchases of $25,000 or More
- Requisitions of $25,000 or more will require the approval of PPS.
- The Purchasing Decision Documentation form must be completed for purchases of $25,000 or more, and attached to the Requisition in NU Financials.
- You must attach the suppliers quote to the requisition. If sponsored dollars are used for the purchase, all quotes received must be attached.
- PPS reserves the right to request and review documentation related to the purchase, solicit additional bids, or conduct additional negotiations.
Requisitions to order products from Preferred Vendors through iBuyNU will NOT require PPS approval. Requisitions of $25,000 or more to order products or services from Preferred Vendors that are in iBuyNU will require PPS approval; however, it is expected that these approvals will occur very quickly since all pricing and terms and conditions have already been established by PPS.
Restricted Commodities
The purchase of certain commodities may require special steps and/or an additional electronic approval from the Office of Research Safety before it can be sourced into an official Purchase Order. When initiating the Requisition, the appropriate Account Code must be used so all appropriate approvals can be obtained. This applies to the following:
The Office of Research Safety will also monitor purchases of Respirators and Select Agents (Toxins) in a post-audit fashion. Departments/schools must select the correct 'ship to' code when ordering the above commodities:
- RSA745CH for the Chicago campus
- RSA2145TE for the Evanston campus
Purchases Using Grant/Sponsored Project Funds
The purchase of products and services of $5,000 or more using grant funds also require the approval of Accounting Services for Research and Sponsored Projects (ASRSP). When initiating the Requisition, the appropriate Account Code must be used so all appropriate approvals can be obtained.