Biomedical Engineering Purchasing Policy

Ordering from Tufts Marketplace (aka Preferred Vendors)

Tufts Marketplace is the first place that must be considered when shopping for lab, office, electronic, and computer supplies. Items that can be found on the Marketplace through Preferred Vendors must be purchased through these vendors, regardless of cost, as we have contracts with these vendors. 

To request access to the Tufts Marketplace, email BME.Orders@tufts.edu with your Name and Student ID number.

Once approved, you will have BROWSER Access only. This type of access allows you to shop and price compare between all the Tufts Preferred Vendor catalogs and create carts.

Students or Visiting Scholars that are not allowed to have access to the Marketplace, must submit orders to BME.Orders@tufts.edu after completing the BME Order Form. Orders sent to staff members personal emails, will NOT be processed. Orders are processed by the BME Office within 2-3 business days of receipt.

If you have any questions regarding the New Tufts Marketplace, please schedule a meeting time with Gwen. 

Creating and Assigning Carts in the Marketplace 

• Cart total cannot exceed $5,000.00
• Carts must be titled with the End User's name.
• End Users must change the shipping address. NOTE: Shipping attention must include the Room or Floor number after the end user's name in the ship to address to prevent misdelivery.
• The funding source should be stated in Comment/Note section. 
  NOTE: Due to the numerous grants for Kaplan labs. Kaplan lab members should not include funding source.
• Carts must then be assigned to Gwen Lee Buchanan, or Cameron Lee Neale to be approved and purchased.
• Orders are processed by the BME Office within 2-3 business days of receipt.

PREFERRED VENDORS available through Tufts Marketplace 

Airgas ordering procedure for Sci-Tech
Airgas is a vendor on the Marketplace, but because of their complex account set up for Tufts University, all Airgas orders must be placed by BME staff. 
Please send all Airgas order requests to BME.Orders@tufts.edu, on the BME Order Form to prevent delivery and billing issues. When completing the BME order form, please request the number of tanks to order, and number of empty tanks to be returned (if applicable). 

The BME Department covers the expense for the below gases:

• CO2 (Room 260R) - 12 tanks are auto ordered by BME staff on the 1^st Monday of each month (Supplier Airgas)
   
• Liquid Nitrogen (Room 108) - 2 Tanks are auto delivered on the 1^st and 15^th of each month. Weekends and holidays may affect this schedule (Supplier Linde Gas and sometimes Airgas)
   
• Liquid Nitrogen (Room 102 Timko - NOTE: Different tank pressure than Room 108) - Users need to check stock and send order requests to BME.Orders@tufts.edu, on the BME Order Form as needed. (Supplier Airgas Only) 
   
• Nitrogen (Room 260R) - Users need to check stock and send order requests to BME.Orders@tufts.edu, on the BME Order Form as needed. (Supplier Airgas)
  All other specialty gases must be covered by the PI’s funding. Please state this funding source on the BME Order Form.

Delivery Locations for Sci-Tech 
NOTE: Airgas/Linde delivery drivers change regularly. Due to access restrictions, the BME delivery locations listed below were created.
Room 260R - CO2, Nitrogen, and other specialty gases for all BME labs. Please return all empty tanks to this location, so that Airgas can pick them up when delivering new tanks.

• Room 108 the BME Cold Storage - Liquid Nitrogen used to refill Dewar tanks for cell storage. Drivers may or may not have access to this room so they may leave full tanks outside the room. If you notice that empty tanks are piling up, you may place them outside of room 108 along the wall.
   
• Room 102 - Liquid Nitrogen used by the Timko Lab only. This Liquid Nitrogen has a different tank pressure than the tanks used in room 108.
   

Airgas ordering procedure for TTC (formerly SEC)
Airgas is a vendor on the Marketplace, but because of their complex account set up for Tufts University, all Airgas orders must be placed by BME staff. Please send all Airgas order requests to BME.Orders@tufts.edu,  on the BME Order Form, to prevent delivery and billing issues. When completing the BME order form, please request the number of tanks to order, and number of empty tanks to be returned (if applicable). 

The BME Department covers the expense for the below gases:

• CO2 - Liquid Nitrogen - Nitrogen (Loading Dock) - Users need to check stock and send order requests to BME.Orders@tufts.edu, on the BME Order Form as needed. 
  All other specialty gases must be covered by the PI’s funding. Please state this funding source on the BME Order Form.

Delivery Locations for the TTC (formerly the SEC):
NOTE: Airgas/Linde delivery drivers change regularly. Due to access restrictions, all gas deliveries for TTC (formerly SEC) are delivered to the Loading Dock, and empty tanks should be returned there for pickup. 

• Amazon
  Amazon Ordering Guidelines -  Amazon cannot be used to place orders for the following items:
• Computers or any computer equipment/peripherals (Peripherals must be purchased through WB Mason)
• Lab consumables
• Lab equipment
• Electrical components of any kind
• Food products for cellular agriculture
• Plant seeds for cellular agriculture
• Gift Cards (requires Tufts Procurement Department approval)
• Biorad
• Grainger
• Fisher - (carries catalog items from the some of vendors listed in the Non-Preferred Vendors chart below and must be used first before requesting an order directly from one of these vendors)
• Qiagen
• Quartzy - (carries catalog items from the some of vendors listed in the Non-Preferred Vendors chart below and must be used first before requesting an order directly from one of these vendors)
• Sigma Aldrich
• ThermoFisher
• VWR Scientific 

Non-Preferred Vendor Ordering Policy

The BME department does have some "Grandfathered in" online tax-exempt accounts with vendors that are not found on the Tufts Marketplace. A list of these accounts are listed in the chart below. However, Fisher and Quartzy carry catalog items from the some of vendors listed in the chart below and must be used first before requesting an order directly from one of these vendors.  

All Non-Preferred Vendor Marketplace order communications and requests must be submitted to BME.Orders@tufts.edu. on the BME Order Form, noting the funding source on the space provided. Order requests submitted in the body of an email will not be processed. 
NOTE: Due to the numerous grants for Kaplan labs. Kaplan lab members should not include funding source.

Orders sent to staff members personal emails, will NOT be processed. Orders are processed by the BME Office within 2-3 business days of receipt.

Note: This list is subject to change at any time and Marketplace vendors MUST be used first.

 If a vendor that an End User would like to use is not listed in the tax-exempt Non-Preferred Vendor chart above, then the following steps must be followed: 

• End Users must obtain a tax exempt quote. Note: The BME Order Form is not required when a quote is obtained. The tax exempt quote must include the correct shipping information and end user's name. Funding source should be stated in the email order request.
• End Users must verify that the vendor accepts phone orders that are paid via credit card, or via a secure payment link. We are unable to place phone orders with international vendors.
• If the vendor does not accept credit card payments, the end user must obtain the email information of the person within the vendor's organization that has the authority to make financial decisions and forward this to the BME Staff, so that a Payment Works invite can be sent to them. Vendors should not send financial information to BME Staff, as we cannot enter them into the system. Once the vendor completes the application and its approved, the BME Staff will submit an E-Req for the Tufts Procurement Department to approve and place the order. 
  NOTE: The process to onboard new vendors can take up to three weeks if vendor response to the Payment Works invitation is slow. 
               ALL quotes must be Tax Exempt, list the correct Shipping Address, End User's Name, and shipping costs if applicable. 

E-Req Ordering Policy

E-Reqs are required when non-preferred vendors do not accept credit cards, but they are also required for order requests that meet the criteria below. 

• E-Req JUSTIFICATION 1 - Purchases $5,000 to 9,999 require: a tax exempt quote. No competitor tax exempt quotes are required. 
  If the quote is for a vendor that is not in the E-req system, the end user must obtain the email information of the person within the vendor's organization that has the authority to make financial decisions and forward this to the BME Staff, so that a Payment Works invite can be sent to them. 
  Once the vendor completes the application, the BME Staff will forward the quote to the Tufts Procurement Department to be placed. 
  NOTE: The timing process to onboard new vendors is solely dependent on how quick the vendor's response is to the Payment Works invitation. 
  ALL quotes must be Tax Exempt, list the correct Shipping Address, End User's Name, and shipping costs if applicable. If these costs are not included up front, then a change order to the original E-Req is required and will be subject to reapproval.
  The E-Req Process can take up to a minimum of two weeks to be approved, after the vendor is set up in Payment Works. Please keep this in mind for deadlines.
   
• E-Req JUSTIFICATION 2 - Purchases $10,000 to 49,999 require a vendor justification due to the University’s bid-policy. Three (3) written tax exempt quotes are required as well as a brief summary of why the vendor was selected (i.e. sole source, performance/quality, cost/price analysis, etc.). 
  The BME Office will not proceed with a purchase order submission without three quotes. If the quote is for a vendor that is not in the E-req system, the end user must obtain the email information of the person within the vendor's organization that has the authority to make financial decisions and forward this to the BME Staff, so that a Payment Works invite can be sent to them. 
  Once the vendor completes the application, the BME Staff will forward the quote to the Tufts Procurement Department to be placed. 
  NOTE: The timing process to onboard new vendors is solely dependent on how quick the vendor's response is to the Payment Works invitation. 
  ALL quotes must be Tax Exempt, list the correct Shipping Address, End User's Name, and shipping costs if applicable. If these costs are not included up front, then a change order to the original E-Req is required and will be subject to reapproval.
  The E-Req Process can take up to a minimum of two weeks to be approved, after the vendor is set up in Payment works please keep this in mind for deadlines.
   
• E-Req JUSTIFICATION 3 - Purchases $50,000 and above require a CEA justification due to the University’s bid-policy. Three (3) written tax exempt quotes are required as well as a brief summary of why the vendor was selected (i.e. sole source, performance/quality, cost/price analysis, etc.). 
  The BME Office will not proceed with a purchase order submission without three quotes. If the quote is for a vendor that is not in the E-req system, the end user must obtain the email information of the person within the vendor's organization that has the authority to make financial decisions and forward this to the BME Staff, so that a Payment Works invite can be sent to them. 
  Once the CEA is approved and the vendor completes the application, the BME Staff will forward the quote to the Tufts Procurement Department to be placed. 
  NOTE: The timing process to onboard new vendors is solely dependent on how quick the vendor's response is to the Payment Works invitation. The CEA Process can take up to a minimum of three weeks to be approved, after the vendor is set up in Payment Works. Please keep this in mind for deadlines.
  ALL quotes must be Tax Exempt, list the correct Shipping Address, End User's Name, and shipping costs if applicable. If these costs are not included up front, then a change order to the original PO is required and is subject to reapproval.     

Other Order Information

• Computer Ordering Guidelines - All computer and some computer peripherals purchases must go through the Tufts IT Department. You can contact them at Tufts IT Support it@tufts.edu or by phone 617-627-3376. 
   
• Cell Line Ordering Guidelines - Any new cell lines must be added to the Bio-Safety Registration BEFORE ordering. This IBC registration number must be listed on the BME Order Form. If you have questions regarding Bio-Safety Registration, please contact Carmen Preda. 
   
• Equipment Ordering Guidelines - Any lab equipment order must be approved by Laura Place or Carmen Preda.
   
• Responsibility - It is the End User's responsibility to report any item that has not been received, to the vendor, within one (1) week of the expected delivery date. Please work directly with the vendor to resolve any backorders and/or substitutions. If you have issues reaching a vendor, please see the BME Office for assistance.