Purchasing Goods and Services
A Purchase Order must in raised in advance whenever ordering goods or services where the Faculty will be invoiced/charged directly (e.g. when booking conference facilities from a college). This is an important financial control which ensures that all expenditure is approved in advance and allows us to understand the Faculty's commitments. It also establishes a clear record of our agreement with the supplier regarding quantity, price and payment terms which is essential should there be any subsequent dispute regarding the amount payable. We are unable to process an invoice from a supplier unless there is a purchase order to match it against.
Before requesting a purchase order and committing the University to expenditure please ensure that University policy has been followed to ensure value for money. More details can be found in the University's Purchasing Procedures but in summary all expenditure over £2,500 requires at least one alternative written quotation to be obtained. For expenditure over £25,000 more stringent rules apply so please talk to the Faculty Finance Team in advance about managing the process.
When selecting a new supplier reference should be made to the University's Supplier Selection Guidance and Supplier Suitability Checklist, both of which form part of the guidance on new supplier set-up. Before entering into a provision of services contract with an individual it is also essential to check by reference to the HMRC Employment Status guidance whether the engagement should be classed as employment (and therefore processed through the payroll) or as a self-employed contractor. A copy of the completed HMRC checklist confirming self-employed status will need to be shared with the supplier and attached to a PO.
Currently, Purchase Orders can be raised by the following administrative staff:
- Michelle Lai (Finance Assistant - Faculty)
- Aleksandra Kuczera (Deputy Finance Manager - Faculty)
- Angela Patterson (for Criminology)
- Nikki MacMichael (for CSLS)
- Bronwen Phillips (for IECL)
- Rachael Harper (for OIPRC and IP Taught courses)
- Olutosin Adenipekun (MSc in Taxation)
- Ally Bowen (for Law and Finance)
- Luke Webster (Law Faculty Events)
- Zoe Davis-Heaney, Bharat Shivan or Sarah Norman (for Bonavero)
Faculty administrators should be contacted via accounts@law.ox.ac.uk.
Please contact the appropriate person with the details of your intended purchase/booking to arrange for a purchase order, advising which code the purchase should be charged to. The supplier will then invoice the Faculty directly and we will arrange payment.
For IT equipment purchases please refer to the guidelines available under IT Equipment Fund section.
Further guidance on purchasing goods and services from third parties can be found in the Faculty’s purchasing procedure.