Additional Information
Other Special Requirements for the Contracting Process
Legal Services
The Office of General Counsel is the only department that can initiate a contract for legal services.
Electronic State Business Daily
UHD is mandated to post notification of procurements on the Electronic State Business Daily when the value of the contract is expected to exceed:
- $25,000 when any non-federal funds will be used to pay for the contract, and
- $150,000 when only federal funds will be used to pay for the contract
Notification must be posted for:
- 14 days if the entire bid or proposal solicitation package is posted; or
- 21 days if the entire bid or proposal solicitation package is not posted.
Expect the process to take a minimum of 30 calendar days prior to the start date of services. For more detail regarding the information required in the solicitation package see Electronic State Business Daily.
Contact Purchasing at (713) 221-8561 for assistance in the bidding process.
Consulting Services [1] Contracts Over $25,000
[Note: Reference Texas Government Code, Title 10, Subtitle F, Chapter2254
Each component is required to provide written notice to the Texas Secretary of State for publication in the Texas Register of the university’s intent to enter into a major consulting services contract (defined as a consulting service agreement exceeding $25,000 for an institution of higher education).
The request for consulting services must be published in the Texas Register a minimum of 30 days prior to execution of the contract.
The notice must include:
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A finding by the university President that consulting services are necessary,
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An explanation of that finding, and
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Information about how prospective consultants can submit offers for consulting services for this ontract (see Government Code 2254.028 and 2254.029 for details).
[1] "Consulting Services" are defined by state law as "the service of studying and/or advising a state agency under a contract that does not involve the traditional relationship of employer-employee.
Texas law defines "Professional Services" as "services that are within the scope of practice of (i) accounting, (ii) architecture, (iii) land surveying, (iv) medicine, (v) optometry, (vi) professional engineering, (vii) real estate appraising, or (viii) nursing, or that are provided in connection with the professional employment or practice of an individual who is licensed, registered or certified to render the listed services. (A certified public accountant, architect, landscape architect, land surveyor, physician, surgeon, optometrist, professional engineer, registered nurse or state certified/state licensed real estate appraiser.)
Contracts Requiring Board of Regents Approval
Board of Regents approval must be obtained in an open meeting for the following contracts:
- The purchase, gift or acquisition of real property;
- The sale of real property or conveyance of any interests in real property, expressly excluded are utility easements to serve one or more component universities;
- Real estate leases, lease renewal and extensions, as lessee, if the obligation of the lease is equal to or greater than $1,000,000;
- Oil and gas leases with an expected bonus exceeding $100,000;
- Banking agreements;
- Any single procurement or revenue contract for construction, equipment, goods and/or services, not specified above, that is expected to exceed $1,000,000;
- Any extension, modification, or renewal of an existing contract that would cause the revised aggregate contract amount to exceed $1,000,000, or that increases the value of a contract already approved by the Board by over 25%;
- Any series of contracts that are initiated in the same department for the same goods or services with the same party within a fiscal year, that if combined in one contract, would require Board approval; and.
- Any other contract the Board might designate as having significant importance to require Board approval.
The Board of Regents holds four regularly scheduled meetings per year.
Policies and State Laws
Policies
State Laws
- Texas Government Code 403.0551 (Prohibits contracting with vendors who owe money to the State of Texas)