Thompson Rivers University
OP-14: Office Paper Purchasing

The TRU Printshop has the follow paper purchasing guidelines:
• All paper purchased will be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or an equivalent third-party certification (https://ca.fsc.org/)
• All envelopes purchased will be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or an equivalent third-party certification
• All regular 8.5”x11” white copy paper will contain 30% or more of post-consumer recycled content. This type of paper accounts for roughly 90% of all TRU Printshop paper purchases.
• All 8.5”x11” white TRU letterhead will contain 100% of post-consumer recycled content
• Members of the TRU and Kamloops communities can purchase reams of Wheat Sheet white copy paper at a marginal difference compared to the other standard ream sold--30% post-consumer recycled content (approximately $5.50 compared to $5.00) - ttp://socialprint.com/
• Whenever possible, the preference is to purchase paper “from as close to Kamloops as possible”. In keeping with this guideline, the following three locations are preferred (in order of preference): BC, Canada, North America, other.

TRU Purchasing Policy and Responsibility - To participate in the goals and objectives of the institution by ensuring that the best value is obtained in the acquisition of goods and services in a fair, open, transparent, and timely manner.
The Purchasing function is centralized in the TRU Procurement Services department (http://www.tru.ca/purchasing/procurement.html). The manager of Procurement Services is responsible for overseeing the purchase of all supplies, equipment and services, including rental of equipment required by the institution and research grantees.
Only the Procurement Department is empowered to financially commit the University, except for those instances where this power has been specifically delegated by the Vice President, Administration and Finance. Examples of this are the purchase of library books, bookstore merchandise and perishable food purchases (ordered by an open Purchase Orders (PO) process, set-up by the Procurement Services). The TRU librarian is responsible for the purchase of library books, the bookstore manager is responsible for the purchase of bookstore merchandise and the chairperson for the food-training centre is responsible for the food purchases.
Suppliers who accept orders from individuals or departments which do not reference an official Purchase order number, and who subsequently invoice Thompson Rivers University for payment, will be advised that payment cannot be made for orders accepted from unofficial sources without a purchase order.
TRU is maintained largely by public funds and all suppliers are entitled to have their tender submission considered when TRU is in the market for goods and services competitively.
Purchases of material and services, with certain exceptions, will be covered by POs, the authority for which will be properly approved on a Web Requisition (WR).
Construction and renovation contracts estimated to have a value greater than $10,000 shall require comparative pricing, and those greater than $ 30,000 in value shall be tendered. The purchase of goods or services greater than $ 10,000 in value aggregate shall require comparative pricing, and those greater than $ 30,000 shall be tendered in accordance with operational policies and procedures. Exceptions to this policy would be when the need is critical and where delays would not be in the best interest of TRU's operations, or where materials or services are unique.
As a ruling principal, orders and contracts will be awarded to the lowest qualified bidder with the best value for TRU. However, all other things being equal, preference will be shown to local firms, British Columbian firms and Canadian firms, in that order. Any deviation from this principle will be as a result of negotiations between the manager of Procurement Services and the requisitioning departments.
TRU's Procurement Services will take into consideration the effects on the environment that products or services will have, and will recommend substitutions or alternative solutions. The responsibility for environmentally responsible purchasing will be from the initial purchase to disposal. Purchasing will keep abreast Government regulations and controls as well as impending government actions and how they will impact the institution.

All figures in Canadian dollars.
All of the paper TRU purchases is FSC certified, as per Liam Regan, Manager, TRU Print Services.