How To Set Up An External Contract Blanket Order
- A Contract Blanket Order is issued to establish an account with
a specific external vendor for the purchase of specified commodities
based on a competitive bid, or for items determined to be exempt from
competition by the authority of a waiver. Please see How To Set Up an External Blanket Order if the items are not covered by a contract or waiver.
- Departments must order only commodities covered by the class code.
There is no dollar limit per release unless stipulated in the referenced
contract, waiver or bulletin.
- Contract Blanket Orders for printing are issued only for departments with delegated authority to purchase printing.
Procedure:
- Request a Contract Blanket Order by completing an external requisition form and routing it through normal approval channels. The contract, bulletin, or waiver number should be entered in the appropriate box on the bottom of the requisition form.
- Contract Blanket Orders are issued for $1.00 in situations where no exact commitment is being arranged, e.g. for "as needed" purchases. Specific commitments within the class code ranges listed below can be issued for the full amount of the commitment. For more information on FY8 and beyond changes to blanket orders, please see FY 8 External Ordering Process Changes.
Class Code Description 3011-3038, 3222, 3224 Services 3171-3192 Rental/leases 3211-3212 Maintenance contracts 3221, 3227, 3228 Grant Sub-agreements 3340-3341 Software - The Contract Blanket Order may be issued for a maximum period of 12 months. Departments should not place a release prior to the beginning date or after the expiration date of the Contract Blanket Order, the contract, the bulletin, or the waiver.
- General Program Revenue (GPR) funded by 101 through 119 or 150, must expire at the end of the fiscal year, June 30. Any other funding source may overlap fiscal years but may not exceed 12 months or the ending date of the funding source.
- The start date of the order may be backdated by two weeks from the requisition date, or the beginning of the current month, whichever is longer. Exception: Continuing order requisitions (CORs) inclusive dates will coincide with the beginning date identified on the COR.
- Departments may begin to purchase using the blanket order after receiving the department copy of the purchase order or if the purchase order is shown as printed on the Purchasing Services Purchasing System Inquiry. The department should provide the vendor with the complete 13-digit blanket order number, verify the ship-to address and provide a contact name and phone number at the ship-to address. The department should remind the vendor that two copies of the invoice, referencing the blanket order number, must be sent to ACCOUNTS PAYABLE, 21 N Park St., Ste. 5301, Madison, WI 53715-1218.
Please contact Purchasing Services with any blanket order questions.