If the sponsor requires specific goods or services to receive the grant, this would be an acceptable sole source under UG. The requirement must be explicit in the terms and conditions or the notice of funding opportunity.
Procuring goods and services from vendors is often an important part of executing a sponsored project. Purchased items, goods, or professional services are initiated via a Check Request, Purchase Requisition or through the Commercial (P-Card) Program.
If your award involves purchases of goods or services (including equipment) contact your department immediately upon receiving your award to plan for and initiate these purchases. All allowable grant purchases should be paid from the award.
See the NIU Procurement Procedures Summary (PDF) to determine the appropriate purchasing method for your specific circumstances.
Principal Investigators may submit a request to allocate P-Card purchases directly to their grant award. All university purchasing policies and procedures need to be followed and Investigators are responsible for ensuring that the purchase is allowed per the terms and conditions of the award.
Contact your Grants and Contracts Associate in advance of your purchase to confirm allowability.
Need to add a P-Card to your grant? Complete and Submit this Request (PDF) to your Grants and Contracts Associate.
When appropriate, SPA encourages the use of advance accounts to initiate purchases (especially those with potentially long lead times) to manage unavoidable delays with receiving a sponsored award.
Additional Reminders:
All items charged to an award must be received at NIU before the end of the award period. Otherwise, allowable items that cannot be received by the end of the award will be unallowable. See End of Award Expenditures for more information.
To support a strong sole source justification, the following information should be available:
Typically, this is not a sole source because it is nearly impossible to justify that one person is the only person in the world able to perform the requested service. Often, the best we can justify is, they are the “best” qualified, which is not a legitimate sole source justification.
However, if an individual is required based on qualifications they possess, a sole source may be justified. The key to a successful justification is to explain in detail what the required qualifications are, why these qualifications are necessary for your research or educational purpose, and how you verified this is the only qualified person.
Poor example:
Chris consultant is needed to assist with my research. Chris is a world-renowned expert with vast experience of this type of work. No one is as good as Chris at this type of work.
Why this is a poor example: Chris may be "best" qualified but may not be the only capable candidate. The recommended approach is to competitively evaluate Chris and obtain quotes from at least two other candidates.
Focus on the unique qualifications – why is someone with those qualifications (in the case of this example, Chris) needed and why is Chris the only person who meets those qualifications?
Maybe, uniform guidance requires both:
A simple approval of a proposal without any clear mention of the need for noncompetitive procurement does not meet these criteria.
To support sole source as part of the proposal process you should clearly indicate the rationale for identifying the vendor as sole source and clearly note in the budget justification that you are seeking non-competitive procurement (sole source) for the purchase. If the justification clearly presents to the sponsor the need for sole source and the agency approves the proposal and budget, we will consider that express agency approval. Otherwise, the PI should work with SPA to obtain prior agency approval and before proceeding with a purchase requisition.
It is recommended that you complete the Small Purchase Waiver Form to document actions taken at pre-award to support the sole source.
Yes. Uniform Guidance and the university Small Purchase policy allows for use of these vendors without the need for formal quotes and can be a justification for sole source. This is because these vendors have already been vetted and deemed competitive. Discounts can still be requested.
Investigators interested in scientific equipment and services may find the General Services Administration Schedule 66 helpful.
Contact Procurement Services and Contract Management (PCSM) for more information about pre-approved university vendors.
Note: guidance adapted from the University of Connecticut, March 2025.
Pre-award and Proposals
asosp@niu.edu
Post-award and Award Management
grantsfiscal@niu.edu
InfoEd Questions
erahelp@niu.edu