About The Citadel		About Procurement Services
	Doing Business With The Citadel		Governing State Law
	Certification		Contracts
	Direct Contact With Departments		Office Hours And Appointments
	Parking		Purchases Under $2,500
	Purchases For More Than $2,500.00		Purchases from $10,000 to $50,000
	Purchases Over $50,000		MBE Assistance
	Vendor Performance		Delivery Conditions
	Drug-Free Workplace Act		Ethics
	Taxes		Bidders' List
	Additional Information		Invoicing
	Conclusion		Purchasing HOME PAGE

About The Citadel

The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, traces its origins to December 20, 1842 when the Legislature of South Carolina passed an act providing for the establishment of The Citadel. The college was located on Marion Square until September 1922 and derived its name from the building in which it was first housed at that location. Since 1922, The Citadel has been situated on a beautiful campus between Hampton Park and the Ashley River. While the college is proud of the military records of its alumni and expects them to respond in national emergencies, its chief purpose is to prepare them for civil pursuits by providing a sound education reinforced by the best features of a disciplined environment. Annual enrollment is approximately 2,000 cadets and 1,200 graduate and undergraduate students in The Citadel College of Graduate and Professional Studies. 

About Procurement Services: The Citadel operates a centralized procurement and materials management system which includes responsibility for purchasing, receiving, delivering, and maintaining inventory control over the materials provided to the college community by vendors. The purchasing office exists to assist faculty and staff with the acquisition of goods and services. Its objective is to procure goods and services of the proper quality, at the right time, in the proper quantity at an economical price, and from the right source. The purchasing office is organized into two buying teams which have responsibility for the departments they serve. The two functional areas are (1) administrative,academic and operations purchasing and (2) physical plant and athletic purchasing. Both procurement officers are located in the Central Supply Warehouse on The Citadel Campus. To reach the administrative, academic, and operations procurement officer pleae call (843) 953-6873 and to reach the physical plant and athletic procurement officer call (843) 953-5109. 

Doing Business With The Citadel: The Citadel has a central purchasing office responsible for acquiring a wide variety of products and services. The Citadel is a state agency governed by state law as regards the procurement of goods and services. The purpose of this guide is to help you better understand how to do business with The Citadel. 

Governing State Law: The South Carolina Procurement Code governs the expenditure of all funds regardless of source unless specifically exempted. The purchasing office adheres to and abides by the procurement code and its implementing regulations. Where a procurement involves the expenditure of federal assistance or contract funds, The Citadel is required to comply with the federal law and authorized regulations which are applicable. 

Certification The Division of General Services has certified The Citadel to make direct purchases of up to $250,000.00 for goods and services, consultant services and up to $100,000.00 in construction goods and services and information technology . Purchases exceeding these limits are forwarded to central state purchasing for processing. 

Contracts:  A properly executed purchase order constitutes a contract which is binding on the college and the vendor. The Vice President for Finance and Business Affairs, Director of Procurement Services, and designated procurement officers are the only persons authorized to bind The Citadel. Vendors are cautioned not to accept verbal orders without receiving a purchase order number from the person placing the order. The Citadel will not be responsible for orders received without a valid purchase order. Failure to follow these procedures will result in delayed payments or the return of material to the vendor. 

Direct Contact With Departments: Direct discussion between vendor representatives and potential users in the departments is acceptable and encourage reguarding the following subject matters, availability of specified requirements, technical information, instructional information, requests for literature, etc. unless instructed otherwise in a solicitation notice. However, it is college practice that all contacts or correspondence pertaining to negotiations affecting purchases or prospective purchases which involve prices, terms, conditions, and delivery shall be carried on by the purchasing office. Further, all correspondence pertaining to a purchase order which has been placed and which involves prices, terms, conditions, delivery, quantity, substitution, complaint, or anything whatsoever involving the commitment, shall be processed through the purchasing office. 

Office Hours And Appointments: The purchasing office is open from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday, except on designated college holidays. While appointments are not required with the procurement officers, it is to the vendor's advantage to make an appointment in advance to permit uninterrupted discussions.  You may contact us using the phone numbers below for an appointment.

Title	Name	E-mail	Phone #
Procurement Director	John Walker, CPPB, CPPO	John Walker	843-953-6861
Procurement Officer Admin / Academics	Renee Harrison, CPPB	Renee Harrison	843-953-6783
Procurement Officer PPLT / Operations	Richard Edmondsom, CPPB	Richard Edmondson	843-953-5109
Contract Administrator	Jalorie Robinson	Jalorie Robinson	843-953-5279

Parking:  Visitor parking spaces on campus are very limited. Please report to the public safety office at the Moultrie Street entrance to obtain a visitor's pass.Some limited parking is available between the Central Supply Warehouse and The Citadel's Boating Center. Public Safety will provide a map upon request to reflect additioanl parking available to visitors.  

Purchases Under $2,500: Orders for less than $2,500 do not require bidding. There are two methods used to process orders for less than $2,500. The first method is by use of the purchasing card, whereby, college department heads and certain others are authorized to purchase goods costing less than $1,500 without processing a purchase order. (Please note, The Citadel's purchasing card limit is only $1,500.) The second method is by use of the purchase order system. Departments forward their request forms to the purchasing office for processing. If the total estimate is close to $2,500 or if a procurement officer feels a better price can be obtained, the order may be informally bid. Final discretionary authority rests with the procurement officer. Otherwise, the orders are processed and sent directly to the suggested vendor. 

Purchases For More Than $2,500.00: Purchases for more than $2,500 require bidding. Orders between $2,500 and $10,000 require three written quotes. The quotes may be obtained telephonically and confirmed in writing or the purchasing office may use a Request For Quotation Form. Orders between $10,000 and $50,000 are purchased using the Request For Quotation and require advertisement in the "South Carolina Business Opportunities," a biweekly publication, which is available by subscription or in all public libraries.

Purchases from $10,000 to $50,000:   Purchases from $10,000.01 to $50,000.00 Procurement Services will solicit written quotes from qualified sources of supply. The procurement shall be advertised at least once in the South Carolina Business Opportunities publication, a biweekly publication, which is available by subscription or in all public libraries. A copy of the written solicitation and written quotes shall be attached to the purchase requisition. The award shall be made to the lowest responsive and responsible source, or when a request for proposal process is used, the highest ranking offeror.

Purchase from $50,000 and higher: Contract with a total or potential value, in excess of $50,000 but less that $100,000 a notice of the award of a contract must be posted and must be sent to all bidders responding to the solicitation on the same day that the notice is posted. For contracts with a total of potential value of $100,000 or greater an Intent to Award of a contract must be given by posting the notice 10 days before entering into a contract and must be sent to all bidders responding to the solicitation on the dame day that the notice is posted. The posting date shall appear on the face of all these notice. Before posting of the award, the procuring officier may negotiate with the lowest responsive and responsible bidder to lower his bid within the scope of the invitation for bid. The Invitation for Bids, notice of Award or notice of Intent to Award must contain a statement of a bidder's right to protest pursuant to Sections 11-35-4210 (1). When only one response is received, the notice of intent to award and the delay of award may be waived.

MBE Assistance: The Citadel fully supports the efforts of the Governor and the State Legislature to assist minority-owned businesses to develop as part of the state's policies and programs which are designed to promote balanced economic and community growth. Therefore, The Citadel wishes to ensure that those businesses owned and operated by minorities in the State of South Carolina are afforded the opportunity to participate fully in the overall procurement process that will result in awarding contracts and subcontracts to certified, qualified and responsive minority business firms. 

Vendor Performance: Vendors are expected to perform per the bidding document/contract with an honest, earnest effort. Delivery times when stated in bidding documents and responded to by the vendor become mandatory delivery times. Vendors not meeting performance standards may be removed from bidders' list, found in default or otherwise penalized. 

Delivery Conditions: All shipments are to be made F.O.B. destination, freight prepaid, to receiving point at The Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina, unless otherwise indicated on the purchase order/contract. If other than FOB destination, as indicated on the purchase order/contract, all transportation, insurance, crating and/or packing charges are to be entered as separate items on seller's invoice. Delivery by the vendor to the common carrier does not constitute delivery to The Citadel. Any claim for loss or damage incurred during transport shall be between the vendor and the carriers. 

Drug-Free Workplace Act: The Drug-Free Workplace Act requires that persons receiving a grant or contract from a state agency for goods, construction, or services for a stated or estimated value of fifty thousand dollars or more certify to the using agency that it will provide a drug-free workplace. The purchasing office is required to obtain the certification prior to finalizing the purchase order. A copy of the Act may be obtained from the procurement officer responsible for the purchase. 

Ethics: Public employment is a public trust. Procurement decisions are made solely on the basis of the South Carolina Procurement Code which prohibits accepting, directly or indirectly, any rebate, gift, money or any thing of value, or any promise of future reward or compensation. The Citadel has adopted the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) Code of Ethics. 

Taxes: The Citadel is required to pay South Carolina sales taxes. 

Bidders' List: The Citadel does not maintain a bidders' list. All solicitations over $10,000 are advertised in the "South Carolina Business Opportunities." 

Additional Information: Any question regarding the contents of this pamphlet or any other question regarding doing business with The Citadel should be addressed to

Title	Name	Phone #
Procurement Director	John Walker, CPPB, CPPO	843-953-6861

Invoicing: Forward all invoices for goods and services to: Accounts Payable, 171 Moultrie Street, The Citadel, Charleston, SC, 29409. Invoices received without the purchase order number referenced will be returned to the vendor. 

Conclusion: When properly executed, The Citadel's procurement process will benefit both the users at the college and our vendors while assuring the citizens of South Carolina and Citadel students that their tax moneys and fees are utilized to the best possible advantage.