# BACKGROUND

As a publicly funded educational institution, Northern College is committed to a consistent, equitable and transparent procurement approach. It is essential that the College's business dealings be beyond reproach to audit and public scrutiny. A comprehensive range of purchasing policies and procedur

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Referenced from: [Procurement Services](/pages/about/procurement/)

## Document text

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SUBJECT

## BACKGROUND

As a publicly funded educational institution, Northern College is committed to a consistent, equitable and transparent procurement approach. It is essential that the College's business dealings  be  beyond  reproach  to  audit  and  public  scrutiny.  A  comprehensive  range  of purchasing  policies  and  procedures  has  been  developed  to  ensure  appropriate  use  of College resources through competitive purchasing, maintenance of honesty, integrity and fairness, and protection of the College and employees from implied liability or questions of legal or ethical practice.

Purpose: To identify operating practices associated with competitive quotations, proposals, tendering or purchase by negotiation.

Scope: These procedures apply to all procurement initiatives at the College of significant scope and cost to warrant the initiation by the College of competitive bidding processes.

## PROCEDURE

## 1. PROCEDURE STATEMENT

The  purpose  of  this  procedure  is  to  establish  the  principles  associated  with  the purchase of goods and/or services to:

- promote  Northern  College  accountability  in  its  use  of  public  funds  for  the acquisition of goods and/or services;
- establish guidelines to which all Northern College employees must adhere to in acquiring goods and/or services;
- outline  the  role  and  responsibility  of  the  Purchasing  Officer  in  assisting departments to acquire value-added, appropriate, quality goods and/or services that meet Northern College's immediate and long term needs at the best overall cost;
- define  the  responsibility  of  all  Northern  College  employees  involved  in  the purchasing process;
- ensure  that  Northern  College  functions  according  to  the  general  accepted business  practices  of  the  Broader  Public  Sector  Procurement  Directives (BPSPD);
- endorse  sustainable  and  environmentally  responsible  procurement  practices, wherever possible.

This procedure includes, but is not limited to: office supplies, consumables, information and communication technology, teaching and research equipment, facility management, and construction. This procedure excludes:

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<small>Source: [https://www.northerncollege.ca/uploads/2025/07/Procurement-A1-PR_Purchasing-General.pdf](https://www.northerncollege.ca/uploads/2025/07/Procurement-A1-PR_Purchasing-General.pdf)</small>