Policies and guidelines

In order to maintain the University of Waterloo's reputation for fair, open and sound business practices, the following information is provided to aid university personnel complete their business affairs.

Policy 17

Policy 17 states the University of Waterloo's standards of ethics pertaining to procurement. All purchases on campus must adhere to Policy 17.

Thresholds	P-card	Purchase order	Quotations	Formal RFP
100,000+	No	Yes	Yes	Written
$25,000 - $100,000	No	Yes	3 written	Optional
$10,000 - $25,000	No	Yes	3 written	No
$5,000 - $10,000	No	Yes	3 written/verbal	No
$0 - $4,999	Yes	Optional	Optional	No

***Please note that all consulting must have three competitive quotes, regardless of dollar value*** Dollar values above are pre-tax.

Code of ethics

University of Waterloo Procurement and Contract Services adheres to the Supply Chain Management Association of Canada Code of Ethics.

Conduct with suppliers (PDF)

A brief guideline to ensuring expedient, open and ethical communications with our suppliers.

Customs

For purchases coming from outside Canada, requisitioners should make themselves aware of rules and conditions that affect their purchase due to customs. Here is a comprehensive document on customs concerns.

Inhibited commodities (PDF)

Certain commodities required on campus have limitations and specific policies due to their special nature. Recognize any special procedures and policies before making a purchase of a special commodity.

Policy 69 - Conflict of Interest

Policy 28 - Moving

To ensure only the best recruits, the University of Waterloo has a policy which will assist newly hired faculty and staff to move to the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

Taxation

Different purchases are subject to different taxes due to the nature of their usage. In order to confirm the whole price of a purchase for budgetary purposes, please use this document the classify applicable taxes.