About

There are three primary methods of purchasing in CEMS and they are listed below in order of preference:

1. UMarket - University-negotiated deals with some of our most common vendors and free shipping. Most efficient for the University, fast and cheap (usually the least expensive option). Go to umarket.umn.edu to shop UMarket. If you don't have shopper access, please contact Danny Williams to be granted access.

2. Purchasing Card (at research group discretion) - If a member of your group has a purchasing card, this is often as fast as UMarket and may be the best option for smaller, urgent purchases. This is typically used for lab supplies. Most purchasing cards held by members of research groups are limited to $500 per transaction and $2,500 per month. Administrative staff may have higher limits (typically $2,499 per purchase and $10,000 per month).

3. CEMS Intranet Purchase Request - This option exists for situations in which a purchase must be made from a non-UMarket vendor and for which a purchasing card held by a group member is not appropriate. It's necessary if an item must go out for bid (purchases over $50,000). In some cases this method may result in a purchasing card purchase by our purchasing coordinator.

Policies