Procurement Guidelines

Installment Purchase Agreements (IPA)

An Installment Purchase Agreement is an agreement between the district and a financial institution that the LHRIC facilitates. Southern Westchester BOCES has secured extremely competitive lending rates. The IPA may be used to finance the purchase of equipment within the Network Support service – either Managed IT or Collaborative.

Based on Co-Ser regulations, for an IPA, as well as any hardware/software purchase, a technology plan is required that shows how the equipment is to be used.  The plan must show that staff development associated with the technology is to be purchased.  This is shown by allocating a percentage of the total dollar amount of the IPA to Staff development.  The staff development costs cannot be included in the IPA and therefore must be paid for by general funds. 

The process for an IPA includes submitting paperwork to your board, the SWBOCES board, and to the state.  Once the paperwork is approved, the procurement process can begin, in alignment with the approved paperwork.  LHRIC MIT Lead and a representative from procurement is responsible for reviewing the “Bill of Materials” with the client prior to the release of the Purchase Orders.  Once all the equipment has been received, the IPA will be executed and the district will receive its first bill payment.

The LHRIC charges a processing/administrative fee is 4%, and then an additional 3.5% for each year after.

Materials Qualifying for Installment Purchase Agreement

IPA - Eligible items

  • New hardware purchases

IPA - Ineligible items

  • System Integration – LHRIC or vendor labor
  • Consumables - supplies and materials (i.e. tapes, printing cartridges, etc.)
  • Physical Security equipment (IP camera, door access controls, etc…)
  • Furniture
  • Legal Fees
  • Project Management
  • Staff Development
  • Annual Charges (Subscriptions / annual support / annual maintenance)

Returns

Materials purchased through an IPA may not be returned unless they are defective

Change Orders For IPA purchases:

  • The LHRIC will accept requests for changes or re-quotes up to two weeks prior to PO release.  The PO release date will be conveyed to the district by the MITs Lead.  Changes at a late date may also impact the installation schedule, due to a late release of purchase orders
  • If the change order is significant, it may require additional paperwork to be submitted to the Board and NYSED.

 

Non-IPA Ordering Guidelines

  • Districts belonging to MITs and Collaborative services procurement fees are now included within the service.  The only additional fees would be the deductible for the processing of insurance claims.
  • All orders must come to the LHRIC via two methods: NPPR or through project work with an assigned LHRIC MITs Lead.
  • Instructional purchases that are to be BOCES aidable require that the District provide staff development to back the purchase.
  • A change order in the procurement of equipment must be requested prior to when the POs are released, which is generally two days after receipt of the approval from the District.  Once the POs have been released the District may incur a vendor imposed restocking fee if any equipment is to be returned or exchanged.
  • Upon receipt of the equipment the District is responsible to update NPPR to initiate installation.  The District is also responsible for forwarding all packing slips to LHRICProcurement@lhric.org. Packing slips are required by the LHRIC for vendor payment.
  • Should a District choose to order equipment/software that is not considered a LHRIC standard, the District will be responsible for the maintenance of the equipment/software ordered.  Such orders may not be eligible for BOCES aid.

ALL Purchases

Should a District choose to order equipment/software that is not considered a LHRIC standard, the District will be responsible for the maintenance of the equipment/software ordered, and such purchases may not be eligible for BOCES aid.

Change Order Guidelines

Project purchases:

  • The LHRIC will accept requests for changes or re-quotes up to two weeks prior to PO release.  The PO release date will be conveyed to the district by the MITs Lead.   
  •  LHRIC MITs Lead and a representative from procurement is responsible for reviewing the “Bill of Materials” with the client prior to the release of the Purchase Orders
  •  Should a requested change dramatically impact the scope of the project, the project may then be considered a ‘new’ project which would create the need to revise the original schedule and budget.

NPPR purchases and Non-IPA Projects:

  • For Non-IPA purchases, a change order in the procurement of equipment must be requested prior to when the POs are released, which is generally two days after receipt of the approval from the District.  Once the POs have been released the District may incur a vendor imposed restocking fee if any equipment is to be returned or exchanged.
  • Upon receipt of the equipment the District is responsible to update NPPR to initiate installation. The District is also responsible for forwarding all packing slips to LHRICProcurement@lhric.org.   Packing slips are required by the LHRIC for vendor payment.

ALL Purchases:

  • Should a District choose to order equipment/software that is not considered a LHRIC standard, the District will be responsible for the maintenance of the equipment/software ordered, and such purchases may not be eligible for BOCES aid.