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Updates have been made to Policy 17 – Quotations and Tenders to:

• Update the minimum requirement for the issuance of a Purchase Order from $5,000 CAD to $10,000 CAD, and
• Remove the requirement for multiple quotations for purchases under $10,000 CAD.

This will bring our institution in line with other comparable institutions and reduce the unnecessary administrative burden around procuring one-time, small dollar transactions.  

In addition, we are also introducing Guidelines for Quotations and Tenders. This document supports the Policy by outlining our current practices around when exceptions to Policy 17 and Broader Public Sector Procurement (BPS) rules are permitted, as well as providing additional flexibility for making minor updates as requirements change. 

Effective date of changes

Effective May 1, 2024, purchases under $10,000 will no longer need a Purchase Order to proceed with purchasing.  Purchases under $10,000 will no longer need quotations.

If you have questions, please contact Procurement via email at Procure@uwaterloo.ca

The University of Waterloo is aware of fraudulent requests being sent to suppliers for unauthorized orders purported to be under an academic institution’s name, normally requesting shipping computer equipment to locations other than the institution’s primary address – if you have any questions or doubts about a request for quote and/or to ship goods on behalf of the University of Waterloo, we encourage you to contact one of our Procurement staff to confirm the validity of the request. We can be reached at procure@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4501.

The Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union is effective Sept 21/17. This new trade agreement will bring about some changes in the way that we procure goods and services.