CU Marketplace
CU Marketplace is where requisitions are entered and approved, purchase orders are issued, where departments receive goods and services, and where all payments are managed for PO invoices and some non-PO invoices.
CU Marketplace Catalog Suppliers
CU-specific pricing is automatically applied to orders processed through the supplier catalogs in CU Marketplace. There are several suppliers with expansive catalogs in for a variety of purchases (IT goods, office supplier, lab equipment, etc.). Utilizing a supplier’s current catalog in Marketplace is the most efficient and expedient process available for obtaining goods and services. Catalog orders of up to $25,000 in total cost will automatically issue a purchase order to the supplier with no additional reviews required from a PSC Purchasing Agent. This generally results in almost immediate order fulfillment for items in stock with the supplier and available for shipment.
Amazon Business Account
The CU Amazon Business account is available exclusively to authorized university employees who meet the following criteria:
- You must have the role of Shopper or Requestor in CU Marketplace, or
- You must have a CU Procurement Card
While Amazon Business is an option, we highly recommend utilizing CU’s established Strategic Partners, such as Staples and Fisher Scientific. These suppliers offer a wide range of commonly purchased items through existing catalogs in CU Marketplace, providing value and reliability to meet the university’s needs.
The Amazon Business account benefits include:
- Free Same-Day, One-Day and 2-Day shipping on Prime-eligible items (learn more)
- Get Quantity Discounts on top-brands and top-selling products.
- Create custom shopping lists for frequently purchased items.
- Ability to support small, diverse, local, and sustainable businesses with certifications.
- Get real-time data to make smarter budgeting and purchasing decisions.
- Access to a specialized Amazon Business Customer Service team
Use the Knowledge resources below to be guided through the Amazon Business activation process:
- Amazon Business: Activating the Amazon.com Experience
- Amazon Business: Activating the CU Marketplace Amazon Catalog
- Please visit the FAQ page for additional information
Non-Catalog Suppliers
When goods or services are not available in a CU-specific supplier catalog, the purchase will be processed in CU Marketplace using a purchase requisition form. When initiating a purchase outside the pre-established catalogs, suppliers will generally provide a purchase quote that can be used to populate the required information in CU Marketplace. These quotes can include a contract with a signature requirement as part of the acquisition process for the purchase. The requisition form will walk you through the required information. See CU Marketplace: Purchase Requisition for step-by-step directions.
The requisition request form within CU Marketplace allows you to create a purchase requisition for a registered supplier and create line-item order details that will populate a purchase order for that supplier. The form will prompt you to attach the necessary documentation.
Requesting a role in CU Marketplace
For a list of training requirements and descriptions of the different CU Marketplace roles, visit the Access & Training Requirements guide.
Once you've completed all of the required trainings, follow instructions provided by University Information Services on obtaining access.
Logging into CU Marketplace
Log in to your campus portal and on the CU Resources Home tab, click the CU Marketplace tile.
International Orders
Purchases of supplies and equipment from companies located outside the United States can present unique requirements.
Dollar limits and procurement methods (i.e., Procurement Card, Department Purchase Order, or PO Requisition) are the same as for goods and services purchased inside the United States. These methods are described in the Purchasing section of this site.
Currency Exchange Rates
Prices quoted by international companies are frequently in currencies of their own country of origin. These must be translated into an approximate value in United States Dollars (USD) for the department's Department Purchase Order or PO Requisition. Currency Exchange Rates are available online.
The estimated USD amount should be used in the department's Department Purchase Order or PO Requisition, along with a note in the Comments field referencing the foreign currency amount and the currency rate used for the conversion. Since exchange rates vary daily, the USD amount entered is only an estimate: the current exchange rate would be used to pay the invoice when it arrives. Payment is accomplished through the PSC Payable Services, usually through an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).
Equipment Arrival, U.S. Customs and Customs Brokers
Upon arrival in the United States, international orders must often be cleared through U.S. Customs before delivery to the University. The University's Identifier Number with Customs is our FEIN # 84- 6000555. If the shipment is small, and is sent via one of the air courier services such as Federal Express or DHL, the carrier will frequently handle clearance through Customs and include charges for this service on their invoice. If the shipment is large, and is not through one of the air courier services, then the University must arrange for clearance through Customs using a Customs Broker.
The University uses several Customs Brokers including, but not limited to:
Aeronet Worldwide
14 Inverness Drive East Bldg H, #120
Englewood, CO 80112
Contact: Patrick Mulstay
Email: pmulstay@aeronet.com
Phone: 303-741-8996
Mobile: 303-549-7626
Aeronet.com
United Parcel Service (UPS)
Contact: Dallas Delacruz
Email: dallasdelacruz@ups.com
Phone: 800-550-4184 x114-2080
Customer Support Phone: 800-877-1497
Charges including U.S. Customs Duty and Duty-Free Delivery
The Customs Broker will have some minimal charges for their services and related paperwork which can be paid using the Procurement Card. In addition, U.S. Customs assigns a Classification.
Change Orders
To update an existing Purchase Order, submit a request via email to changeorder@cu.edu. The change may have to go through the same approvals as the original purchase order, and there is additional guidance that you should consider before submitting a request:
All Submissions Should Include
- The Purchase Order number (CU PO numbers are ten digits long and begin with 1000, 1001, or 1002). Please make sure to include the PO number in the subject line of the email.
- All supporting documentation, such as a proposed contract amendment, supplier invoice, revised proposal, approved Employee Services scope of work form where the supplier is an independent contractor, updated rates sheet, and/or other relevant documents as back-up for the requested change.
- When crossing Purchasing thresholds, forms such as an SSPR form or Sole Source Justification form may also be required.
- Details of the requested change. When requesting an amount increase and/or date extension, be specific as to what the new amount and/or end date should be.
- To expedite the process, provide necessary approvals with the submission. For example, increases in orders related to research may require approval from the Office of Sponsored Projects
- An updated security compliance review (for purchases subject to this type of review) may be required if a monetary increase is associated with a change in scope.
- To help PSC expedite processing and ensure accurate communication, please include the supplier’s name along with the following, when available:
- Email address of a general contact (for follow-up questions or clarification)
- Email address of the authorized signatory (if different - for documentation requiring a signature, such as amendments, change orders, renewals, or extensions)
When Changes May Not be Requested
Changes may not be completed through Change Order in the following conditions:
- Insufficient budgeted funds to cover the change request – always check with your finance department to ensure that you have the proper funds to cover a proposed change to a PO
- Invoices already entered against a Purchase Order cannot be changed through Change Order – Change Order can only modify Purchase Orders, not invoices.
- Modifications to invoices may be requested through the voucher commenting process
- Funding changes on non-BPO/SPOs that are already invoiced
- Decreases or canceled lines – POs should instead be closed after all other invoicing is received
- Changes to accommodate shipping/handling – shipping and handling is paid automatically, regardless of the PO amount
- Addition of new lines to a completed PO
- Catalog order price changes
- Supplier/fulfillment address changes
- Changes to a PO that was not correctly entered as a BPO
- Date extension requests where the governing contract has already expired.
- Requests to increase a PO above $150,000 where a competitive process is required but has not been completed.
See the Knowledge Base Article for instructions on how to submit a Change Order