Purchasing

When making a purchase with MIT funds, you have many things to consider, from finding the right supplier to getting a good deal to ensuring quick and easy payment. VPF experts are here to guide you along the way and make sure you get exactly what you need at a fair cost.

a few people sit at tables outside
Sourcing
sourcing
Contracts
contracts
Making a Purchase
making-a-purchase
Keep Your Order Moving
keep-your-order-moving
Not Sure Where To Start?

VPF offers a variety of training opportunities — both online through Atlas and in-person — to help you navigate a range of purchasing topics, including how to create a requisition, how to change an order, and how to request a reimbursement.

Training

Strategic Sourcing

VPF Strategic Sourcing develops and manages agreements with Preferred Suppliers, allowing all members of MIT's community to take advantage of the Institute's extensive buying power. 

Sourcing Capabilities

Ask The Sourcing Team

VPF Strategic Sourcing can answer your questions about working with MIT’s Preferred Suppliers, buying goods or services in specific commodity areas, soliciting bids from multiple suppliers, working with small and diverse businesses, and more.

Contact Us

Get Started With Our Expert Buying Advice

Learn best practices in sourcing from our experts in these commonly purchased commodities. 

Catering Services
Hotels
Shipping, Mailing, Customs Brokerage
Lab Equipment
Promotional Products
Web Design
Temporary Staffing

Find A Supplier 

Use our expanded Supplier Search to identify suppliers that meet your purchasing needs. 

Supplier Search 

Before You Purchase

MIT requires you to fill out a Selection of Source form for any purchase you make that fits the following:

  • Exceeds $10,000
  • From a non-preferred supplier

Selection of Source form

What is a Preferred Supplier?

Contracts

The VPF Contracts team reviews contracts before you buy to make sure you purchase and receive what you expect in a timely manner, while also protecting your interests and minimizing risk, as well as provide an authorized signature on the contract.

Do I need a contract?

Contracts

VPF Contracts advises, reviews, drafts, negotiates, and executes commercial agreements for the procurement of goods and services at the Institute.

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Policy

VPF Buying and Paying 1.01 Contracts Mission & Responsibilities

VPF Contracts advises, reviews, drafts, negotiates, and signs contracts for goods and services at the Institute.

Learn more

Making A Purchase

When it comes time to make your purchase, experts at VPF can help you through the entire process, such as getting a purchase order number or advising when it’s okay to use your Procurement Card.

Buy-to-Pay (B2P)

Buy-to-Pay is the MIT community's all-in-one platform for the procurement process. Start a requisition, shop using a punchout catalog, or report on your recent purchases.

B2P

Atlas

The Institute's administrative platform, Atlas hosts the Request for Payment process and VPF's online training modules. Internal Providers are available through Atlas. 

Atlas

Keep Your Order Moving

Once you have completed your transaction, use Buy-to-Pay to make sure items are received, invoices are paid, and purchase orders are closed out.

Learn More

Procurement Operations

VPF Procurement Operations helps members of the MIT community in the purchasing process for goods and services.

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Accounts Payable

VPF Accounts Payable (AP) team pays the Institute’s bills for goods and services.

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