Role of the Procurement Office

Procurement within the University

Each year the University spends some 67% of its TOTAL expenditure on payroll and related expenditure and the remaining 33% on goods and services.

Whilst much of the responsibility for routine low value spending now rests with individual Faculties and Departments, the University has obligations in relation to certain categories of regulated spending. Full details of these are set out in the Procurement Procedures Manual. Regulated purchasing is carried out by a small team located on the Coleraine Campus (see Procurement Staff).

The Procurement Section of the Finance Department is committed to a programme of change, designed to develop a service which is responsive to the needs of end-users, budget holders and the University's Resources Committee.

The money used to purchase goods and services comes from public funds or from grants which have been given to the University for specific purposes. Resources Committee has an obligation to ensure that its financial resources are properly controlled and accounted for and that 'value for money' is achieved.

It is worthy noting that the various funding bodies now require applicants to demonstrate that research fund spending is subject to NWUPC Procurement Best Practice Guidelines.

It is a condition of awarding grants that a procurement specialist in the University concerned agrees to manage the market testing programme and the whole exercise is monitored by independent observers.

The Procurement Office, under the Control of the Director of Finance has the responsibility of ensuring that these various aims are achieved.

All the information and guidance needed to perform day-to-day procurement activities is set out in the Procurement Procedures Manual and we commend it to everyone with delegated purchasing authority.