Policies and Special Requirements:

Definition of Sole Source

A purchase to be made from only one responsible source when no other equipment, supplies or services are available to satisfy the user requirements, or, emergency circumstances which necessitate an unusual and compelling urgency in order to avoid a threat to health, welfare or safety.

Note that the most critical question on the Sole Source Justification Form is question #3, "Why is this item or service restricted to the proposed vendor?" A complete answer to this question should provide representatives of Central Procurement Services with the information needed to process the request.

Documentation

The University of Chicago Justification for Sole Source form has been developed to provide an acceptable level of documentation to demonstrate why the standard policy of encouraging free and open competition could not be followed for a paritcular purchase. For all such purchases expected to have a dollar value of $25,000, or more, this form must be completed by the initiator and submitted with the Purchase Request (CPS Form 100).


The University strongly encourages the use of  free and open competition for all purchases. There are, however, very limited circumstances when this is not possible. To encourage that competition to be as free and open as possible, the University will consider Sole Source to be:

1. Only one responsible source and no other supplies, equipment, or services will satisfy initiator requirements, or
   
2. Emergency circumstances which necessitate an unusual and compelling urgency in order to avoid a threat to health, welfare or safety.

Back to Justification for Sole Source Form