Finance Office & Procurement Services

As a public institution, Cape Breton University has a responsibility to act and be seen to act in a fair and open manner. University purchasing activities must be conducted in accordance with this responsibility.   

Our purchasing policy ensures that all university funds are well managed and used effectively and economically, as well as to ensure that CBU is compliant with the requirements of Provincial, Federal, and International legislation and applicable trade agreements. 

Procurement Services is in place to assist faculty and staff with the sourcing goods and services.   

Methods for Faculty and Staff to procure goods/services: 

• Purchase Orders
• Blanket Orders
• Visa Purchase Card (P-Card)
• Tendering and requests for proposals

Purchasing Methods 

CBU has various methods for procuring goods.  The value and nature of the purchase will determine the methodology used.  Some examples are: 

Purchase Order 

Employees requesting a purchase order must complete an internal requisition (IR) form with a quote attached.  The IR will be processed by Finance once all appropriate internal approvals are in place.  A PO will be sent to the vendor as well as the initiator. 

Blanket Purchase Order

Blanket purchase orders are used throughout the fiscal year for repetitive/pre-scheduled purchases from the same vendor.  Departments must submit and internal requisition to initiate this process. 

Visa Purchase Card

The University currently has a purchasing card (P-Card) program on campus used for low-dollar value operational expenditures.  Each department has access to a P-card, cards have a daily transactional limit of $1500 and a monthly limit of $10,000.  Please refer to the Visa Purchase Card Manual for information on proper card use and valid/invalid purchases.  

Tendering and requests for proposals 

A competitive tendering or RFP process is initiated when the goods/services that need to be procured fall above the purchasing thresholds.  The University utilizes an online tendering system Bonfire where all current opportunities and contracts can be viewed.  We also post all opportunities and tender results publicly on the NS Procurement website. 

Current Purchasing Thresholds

Goods and Services 

Value	Procurement Method
$0 to $5,000	No quotes required
$5,001 to $25,000	Three quotes required
$25,001 to $121,199	Tender/RFP Process

 

Construction 

Value	Procurement Method
$0 to $10,000	No quotes required
$10,001 to $100,000	Three quotes required
$100,001 to $302,900	Tendering process

 

Annual Report on Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains

In accordance with Section 11 of the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act (hereafter “the Act”), Cape Breton University is required to prepare an annual report on the steps taken during the previous financial year to prevent and reduce the risk that forced labour or child labour plays at any step in the production of goods in Canada or elsewhere by the entity or of goods imported into Canada by the University. 

2023-2024 Fiscal Year Report