Welcome to Columbia University Purchasing

Columbia is a huge institution with enormous buying power, where few individual purchases are unique. Because of the depth and breadth of our purchasing, it makes good sense for us all to follow the same set of procedures based on clear policies and practices that fully leverage our collective power in the market; reflect good business practices; and protect the best interests of the University.

In particular, as the recipient of a substantial amount of Federal funding, the University must comply with the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) accompanying the distribution of these funds. Otherwise, the availability of these funds may be jeopardized.

• The Purchasing Department partners with the University community to facilitate the purchasing process. We're here to help everyone get the best overall value for the goods and services required to support the University's academic and research mission. We do this by negotiating University-wide Purchasing Agreements; serving as a resource to Schools and Departments as they are preparing to make purchases; and working cooperatively with purchasers to ensure that larger purchases are controlled, executed, and consistently documented in accordance with the University's policies.
• The role of the Schools and Departments is to ensure that the substance and spirit of the principles that inform the purchasing policies and processes are respected and followed, and to take full advantage of the resources available in order to obtain the best possible value for every expenditure of University funds.

The Purchasing Guidelines articulate the University's policies with respect to the purchase of goods and services, and are useful as a reference and a resource as purchasing related questions arise.