Announcement of an Emergency Award/Quick Purchase

This emergency/quick purchase was required due to a situation in which items available on the spot market or at discounted prices were available for a limited time such that sound business judgment mandated a purchase immediately to take advantage of the availability and price.

Fleets were notified on November 29th that a fleet ordering window for this class of vehicles would only be open through December 12th. Expected lead times are estimated to be 18 months from purchase. The next ordering window is currently unknown but projected to be in 2025. The University sought competition from Ford, GM, Dodge, and Nissan dealerships and received 3 competitive offers. The University's Facilities & Services fleet operation is in need of 14 cargo vans to maintain current operations. These new vehicles will be used to transport crafts & trade staff to various locations on campus for infrastructure and mechanical repairs. As vehicle availability has been severely curtailed since the pandemic, existing vehicles are exceeding their lifespan and becoming unrepairable leaving our fleet in jeopardy of being unable to maintain current operations.