Vendor Information

Purpose and Authority

The business process governing the procurement, storage, issuance and delivery of all materials, supplies, services and equipment required in the operation of the College is an administrative responsibility controlled by the College Board of Trustees and governed by the New Jersey County Colleges Contracts Law 18A:64A-25.1 et seq. The Purchasing Department is obligated to monitor compliance with the laws, rules and regulations set forth by federal, state and local authorities as they pertain to the procurement and related functions.

In the event of any discrepancy in the following statements, the provisions all applicable statute, regulations, legal advertisements, bid documents, instructions to bidders, or individual specifications issued at the time of solicitation shall govern the transaction(s).

The Board has designated the following individuals as authorized contracting agents for the College: President; Vice President for Academic Affairs; Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness, Planning, and Compliance; Vice President for Student and Enrollment Services, Chief Financial Officer; and Director of Purchasing.

No other person has the authority to enter into purchase contracts or, in any way, obligate the College for procurement indebtedness. Any such commitments are considered unauthorized and may not be honored for payment.

In no instance should suppliers deliver goods or perform services  until a Middlesex College purchase order has been issued by the Purchasing Department or, in the case of an emergency, written authorization (including email) from an authorized contracting agent. 

All cooperative purchases exceeding the quotation threshold, as set by law, all non-fair and open contracts exceeding the “Pay-to-Play” threshold, and all contracts exceeding the statutory bid threshold must be approved by the Board of Trustees prior to the purchase being authorized by an official College Purchase Order.

Vendors, Solicitations, and Awards

Suppliers shall be responsible business organizations offering material, supplies, services, or equipment required by the College. Go to the College’s Procurement Portal to see open solicitations and recent contract awards.

When requested, any supplier may be required to present factual evidence of financial status, capability, experience, or other information necessary to determine whether the bidder or firm is responsible as defined by applicable law.  The Director of Purchasing may elect to make plant or site visits, review available ratings, obtain references, or perform other due-diligence activities as deemed necessary.

It is the responsibility of the Purchasing Department to procure all required supplies, services, and equipment on behalf of the College. Specifications shall be written so that broad competitive solicitation through formal bid or written quotation procedures is encouraged.

Expenditures exceeding the current bid threshold may require a performance bond and/or bid guarantee when required by law or when deemed appropriate by the College, in accordance with N.J.S.A.18A:64A-25.16 and 25-17.

The Purchasing Department will solicit written quotations for purchases with an estimated net price in excess of the current quotation threshold but below the current bid threshold. Sealed bids or Requests for Proposals (RFPs) or Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) will be solicited for any purchase or group of purchases that exceeds the current bid threshold, or when otherwise required or permitted by law, or at the discretion of the Director of Purchasing. 

All sealed bids received will be publicly opened at the time an place indicated in the solicitation and/or legal advertisement. Any bids received after the scheduled opening time will be returned unopened upon request of the bidder.

Bidders are responsible for allowing sufficient delivery time when submitting bids by U.S. Mail or other carriers to ensure receipt by the Purchasing Department prior to the scheduled bid opening deadline Bids delivered elsewhere on campus and rerouted to Purchasing must also be received prior to the scheduled opening time; late bids will not be accepted

The Director of Purchasing shall review the results of each solicitation and make award recommendations to the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any or all bids or quotations, to waive informalities as permitted by law, and to award contracts in the best interest of the College. 

Upon approval by the Board of Trustees, a written purchase order will be issued to the lowest responsible bidder or or otherwise qualified awardee, as applicable. All requests to examine bid or other public documents must be submitted in writing to purchasing@middlesexcollege.edu.

Any legal challenges to the bidding process must be pursued before the Board of Trustees in accordance with P.L. 1994, c. 48, §6 (f). The challenge or objection must be presented by filing a petition with the Secretary of the Board of Trustees within seven (7) calendar days of the decision to award or not award a contract. Proceedings shall be governed by the Rules Governing Hearings Before the Board of Trustees of Middlesex College which may be obtained from the Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trustees.

General Terms

All College purchases are authorized by means of a standard or blanket purchase order. The Terms and Conditions applicable to all College purchase orders are incorporated by reference and are available on the Vendor Opportunities webpage. 

To reduce administrative burden and facilitate frequent purchases, blanket orders may be processed annually for certain supplies or services. Blanket orders are authorizations for specific College departments to spend up to a pre-determined, “not-to-exceed” amount.

The Purchasing Department reserves the right to conduct performance audits of vendor contracts and usage by College departments.

All deliveries shall be F.O.B. Destination. All packaging must clearly reference the College Purchase Order number and include a packing list. Items shipped without adequate identifying information may be refused or returned to the shipper.

Samples  requested by the Purchasing Department shall be furnished at no cost to the College. Upon request, samples will be returned at the vendor’s expense. Vendors occasionally may also be requested to provide demonstrations of materials or equipment for evaluation by College administrators and instructors.

All vendors shall submit invoices to . Invoices that do not reference a valid College Purchase or Blanket Order number may be delayed or returned unpaid. Partial payment for incomplete shipments require authorization by the Director of Purchasing.

Vendors that elect to receive payment via ACH deposit (electronic check) must send their request to purchasing@middlesexcollege.edu. Banking information is encrypted and stored on the College’s network; encryption complies with all current banking regulations and can only be viewed by authorized individuals. Once banking information is entered, all payments below $100,000 will be paid via e-check and remittance information will be sent to the email address on file.

Formal Open Public Records Act requests shall be submitted to publicrecords@middlesexcollege.edu with the required Government Records Request Form.

It is the responsibility of the Purchasing Department to dispose of surplus or obsolete materials, supplies, or equipment after receiving approval by the Board of Trustees. Such items are typically sold via auction on GovDeals.com; all transactions will be governed by the terms indicated on the College’s auction postings.

If no bids are received after two postings, the property may be disposed of or otherwise handled as determined by the Director of Purchasing. No College employee may commit to the disposal of College property without prior written approval from the Director of Purchasing.