Simplified purchasing may be used to purchase commercially available goods and services valued at less than $1 million. Simplified purchasing may not be used for purchases valued at $1 million or more.
Purchase/SCM teams should use their business judgment in deciding whether or not simplified purchasing is the most effective competitive business practice based on (1) the nature and complexity of the requirement, (2) market conditions, and (3) whether simplified purchasing will result in the Postal Service obtaining best value. If the requirement is highly complex in scope, requires significant customization to meet Postal needs or requires extensive assessment from various stakeholders to determine best value, simplified purchasing may not be the best method to use for the purchase. Purchase/SCM teams should conduct market research to determine that the good or service sought is available in the commercial marketplace before making the decision to use simplified purchasing procedures. The decision to use simplified purchasing is made during purchase planning and is ultimately based on an assessment as to whether the approach will result in obtaining the best value for the Postal Service, and not solely on whether the estimated dollar value of the purchase falls within the simplified purchasing threshold.
