Important changes to procurement law
Some new guidelines for procuring goods and services entered into effect at the beginning of this year. The following points apply to anyone planning to make purchases of CHF 10,000 or more.
Electron microscopes, IT goods, external services, furniture and even ballpoint pens: ETH Zurich makes over 500 million francs in purchases every year. As a public university, we are subject to the Federal Act on Public Procurement (FAPP), and a revised version of this law has been in effect since 1 January 2021. Here are the most important changes:
1. More emphasis on sustainability
Anyone making a purchase – no matter the price – needs to pay special attention to the issue of sustainability. In practice, this means that goods and services should:
- limit their environmental impact over their entire life cycle to the greatest possible extent
- fulfil high social standards
- be economical, efficient and fit for purpose
2. Purchases from CHF 10,000 to CHF 149,999
When making purchases in this price range, it is recommended to obtain three offers whenever possible so as to guarantee fair competition between suppliers. The ETH Procurement team can support you with this process.
New rule: All purchases of CHF 50,000 or more need to be made public once a year. This is the same rule that applies to purchases ranging from CHF 150,000 to CHF 229,999.
3. Purchases from CHF 150,000 to CHF 229,999
An important new guideline has been implemented for purchases in this price range: anyone making purchases from CHF 150,000 to CHF 229,999 must conduct an official tender procedure. (Previously this rule applied only to purchases starting from CHF 230,000.) This requires inviting suppliers to submit an offer and preparing a structured set of documentation. However, this procedure does not need to be made public.
4. Purchases starting at CHF 230,000
As was the case before, purchases of goods and services exceeding this threshold must be publicly disclosed in one of three types of official procedures: open, selective or limited.
Important: The relevant Procurement team must be involved in all purchases that fall under points 3 and 4. Please keep this in mind and get in touch with your contact person early on in the process.
Procurement tips
How early should you involve the procurement team when making a bigger purchase? According to Urs Meder from Procurement, an official tender procedure can take around two to four months. “This is why it's important not to wait to contact us until you need a new microscope in the lab next week,” he says.
He also has advice for everyone involved in making purchases: “A lot of people aren't aware that procurement rules don't just apply to goods like hardware but also to any services purchased from external suppliers. Here the Procurement team is also ready to help.”