Unofficial Purchasing Notes
The University has plenty of well-meaning, but sometimes obstructive, processes for purchasing. Most of them are quite obvious and reasonable, such as the need to have money, and the authorisation to spend it, before spending it. (PhD students should note that authorisation to spend RTSG money comes from the supervisor, or, if absent, advisor, and not the student. For most grants the PI is obvious, and for TCM Lab Consumables it is the HoG for large items, and any staff member for smaller items.) Ultimately purchasing requests need to go via the Hub.
Below is an incomplete collection of useful links, interspersed by some comments. It does not cover "dangerous" items (chemicals, lasers, etc.).
Suppliers
The University divides suppliers into several categories, and, to a first approximation, one should choose a supplier from the lowest numbered category possible.
- The Cavendish Stores (which has a catalogue on its web page)
- Market Place and Framework Contracts
- Other suppliers on CUFS
- Suppliers which can be added to CUFS (though this tends to take several weeks for credit checks etc)
- Suppliers accepting credit cards (in exceptional circumstances)
- Banned suppliers (never)
It is possible to choose "other suppliers on CUFS" over the Market Place or a Framework Contract if there is a clear benefit in terms of price, quality, service, etc.
One should not pay personally and then submit an expense claim. If one must use a credit card, Physics strongly prefers this to be one of the Hub credit cards to a personal card followed by an expense claim.
Physics likes purchasing requests to be presented on its "purchasing order request form", which can be found on the Physics Finance Forms page. It is a strange thing, failing to add up columns itself, despite Word having had sufficient arithmetic ability in its tables for about three decades. I tend to use a lightly-modified TCM POR, which seems to be accepted.
The University does not like eBay at all, partly due to its warranty arrangements, particularly on second-hand goods.
We also have a page dedicated to laptop purchasing, which also provides useful pointers for desktops and other IT goods.
Quotes
Goods or services costing below £25,000 (inc VAT if applicable) can be purchased directly from the Market Place, or by following any procedures specified in a Framework contract.
Otherwise, a single written quotation is required below £5,000, and three written quotations between £5,000 and £25,000. Tenders are not required until the value exceeds £50,000.
In practice TCM tends to move towards mini-tenders for IT equipment at about £10,000. It is sometimes annoying that a failure to quote (from a company which would reasonably be expected to supply the goods) does not count towards the total of three quotes.
It is not necessary to judge solely on price: quality (including of post-sales service) and compatibility with existing equipment can be considered, for instance.
And, for the current details, the full University procedures.
VAT
VAT, at 20%, almost always needs paying (save on books). Education and research are not VAT-exempt in the UK. Clinical research is, but medical research is not. I am unaware of TCM purchasing anything which was deemed to be exempt. Note that companies tend to omit VAT when producing quotes for the University, but tend to include it when producing quotes for private individuals.
The one exception is internal trading, e.g. purchasing services from the UIS. As long as the purchase is paid for from a University account, so the money is only moving internally within the University, VAT is not payable. For this purpose Colleges do not count as part of the University.
Expenses
Note that it is generally not permissible to use the expenses system for purchasing things which could reasonably have been purchased directly on an official Purchase Order.
Those on the payroll need to use the online Concur system. For others, expense claims need submitting on the relevant form, also found on the Physics Finance Forms page. I believe that the first time one submits such a form, one also needs to submit a "new individual's form".
Travel
It is important to ensure that one is insured. This needs to be done for every trip, although the application is online. See the University's Travel Insurance pages. Note that holidays tacked on to the end of business trips can be covered, provided that the holiday is both less than 14 days and less than 50% of the total number of days. The policy does not cover trips within the UK.
In order for your University Travel Insurance to be valid a risk assessment needs to be completed and e-mailed to the Mott Hub before you travel anywhere outside the UK. Please see the University page (with forms for students) (others should ask the Hub for further advice). It is mandatory for all graduate students to inform the Graduate studies office before they travel (admissions@phy).
The use of Airbnb properties or bookings for University business is not permitted, and expenses related to these will not be reimbursed by the Department.
The following risk assessment forms for low-risk travel were current in Physics in August 2019 (when they were circulated by email with no web link): staff form, students' form.