Purchase Authorization

Each department, division, or unit is assigned a budgetary allotment for purchases. The administrative head (e.g., director, department chair, or other official) is responsible for ensuring proper and lawful use of these funds and holds the sole authority to authorize purchases from the unit’s budget.

This authority may be delegated in writing to another authorized representative; however, delegation does not relieve the administrative head of fiscal responsibility for budget oversight or adherence to procurement requirements.

In the case of externally funded projects, the Principal Investigator (PI) is responsible for managing the assigned contract or grant budget. A PI may delegate purchase approval authority to another institutional representative, but the PI remains fully accountable for all spending against the grant or contract.

All purchase approvals must comply with applicable state purchasing regulations, thresholds (e.g., Small Purchase Benchmark), and any required competitive bidding or contract execution processes.

Unauthorized purchases may be subject to review, delay, or denial of payment, and may result in administrative or disciplinary consequences.

Procedure

A requisition is created in AggieMart and routed for approval based on criteria established by the head of the relevant University department.

Relevant North Carolina Statutes

• State of North Carolina Administrative Code - 01 NCAC 05b.0300: Procurement Authorization and Procedures
• North Carolina General Statute § 116-31.10 - Powers of Board Regarding Certain Purchasing Contracts