Section 4.5420  Governmental Joint Purchasing

a)         The CPO-HE or designee may authorize any university to purchase personal property, supplies or services jointly with one of more governmental units. This applies when the university and another governmental entity or consortium of governmental entities agree to jointly pursue a procurement opportunity.  Procurements and contracts conducted by the Illinois Public Higher Education Cooperative on behalf of two or more universities are authorized by the provisions of this Section.

b)         A university may be a lead procuring entity in a governmental joint purchasing activity and lead other public universities or agencies of other states (including Washington DC and U.S. territories) or by a consortium of these entities. 

1)         When a university is the lead procuring entity, all joint purchases shall be competitively conducted in accordance with the Code and this Part. 

2)         The CPO-HE or designee may authorize a multiple award.

c)         A university may be a participant procuring entity in a governmental joint purchasing activity led by a public university or agency of another state (including Washington DC and U.S. territories) or by a consortium of these entities. 

1)         When a university is a participant procuring entity, all joint procurements shall be competitively conducted in accordance with the procurement laws of the lead procuring entity.

2)         To be considered a participant procuring entity, a university must actively contribute to the procurement, by such means as assisting in the development of specifications, being a member of the evaluation committee or a required approver of the proposed award, or engaging in other similar activity that assists with the procurement.

3)         When a university is a participant procuring entity, all contracts resulting from a joint purchase shall contain all provisions required by Illinois law and this Part, including certifications and disclosures required under Article 50 of the Code.

d)         All procurements conducted as a governmental joint purchase shall be conducted as a competitive procurement except:

1)         for small purchases that follow the small purchase process outlined in Section 20-20 of the Code; or

2)         when the CPO-HE or designee determines competition is impractical.  When impractical, the CPO-HE or designee may authorize purchases following the sole source process outlined in Section 20-25 of the Code or the emergency purchase process outlined in Section 20-30 of the Code.

e)         The CPO-HE or designee shall publish a notice of award to the Bulletin for a minimum of 14 days prior to execution of the contract.  The notice shall contain all information required in Section 4.1525(d).

f)         All proposed governmental joint purchase contracts must be submitted to the CPO-HE or designee for review and approval prior to execution.

g)         The CPO-HE may designate contracts made through a governmental joint purchase as available to other governmental units in Illinois.

(Source:  Amended at 43 Ill. Reg. 1781, effective February 15, 2019)