The University 
of Mary Washington, an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia, shall ensure that public procurement is accomplished in accordance with the Governing Rules as set forth by the Virginia General Assembly.
Outlined below are quick steps to assist with the vendor selection process. Training related to procurement and vendor selection is provided in the Purchasing with eVA and the Credit Card class.
4 Steps to Vendor Selection
Listed below are four steps for consideration prior to engaging in services with an individual or company.
1. Check to see if a mandatory or optional contract exists for the service.
Online Search Sources:
(a) Cobblestone, eVA, VASCUPP
(b) Procurement Services can assist with cooperative contract searches and answer any contract related laws and policies.
2. If a contract does not yield results, search for procurement required Eo35 SWaM vendors. If your procurement is eVA exempt, the Transparency Report may still be utilized to locate vendors who can provide the goods or service you need.
3. When your vendor search concludes that an individual will best meets your needs, the next step is to define hire status. Individuals will be hired as either an employee of the University or as an Independent Contractor. Finance & Human Resources will determine hire status. Follow the IC procedures prior to enlisting the services of the individual.
4. It is Commonwealth regulation that vendors (including independent contractors) must be registered in eVA prior to doing business with the University and prior to payment. If the vendor you selected is not registered within eVA, direct them to do so. Vendors may request assistance with eVA registration through the SBDC office.
UMW department buyer training related to procurement and vendor selection is provided in the Purchasing with eVA and the Credit Card class.