Per notification from Neal Wormsley, UT Associate Treasurer:

Effective immediately the revised form “Justification for Non-Competitive
Purchases and Contracts” must be processed for all non-competitive purchases
greater than $2,000.  The form is required for purchases of $2,000 or more
that are processed either through IRIS as a requisition and purchasing order
or through contracts in accordance with Fiscal Policy 130. At this time the
only exception is for acquisitions made by University Libraries.  The
revised form and instructions can be found in Appendix C of Fiscal Policy
050: http://admin.tennessee.edu/acs/pdf/Jus.pdf

This change in the processing of requests for non-competitive purchases is a
result of the General Assembly’s passage of Public Chapter 413.  That
legislation requires the University to implement procedures that greatly
enhance the documentation and justification for non-competitive contracts
and purchases and requires the University to submit all service contracts of
$250,000 or more to the Tennessee Fiscal Review Committee for their
comments.

The following provides some of the major changes to the “Justification for
Non-Competitive Purchases and Contracts form:

1.      Additional data is required for the proposed contractor or vendor.
2.      The pre-approved items found in Appendix D. of Section 050 are no
longer valid.  With the exception for Library acquisitions, a form is
required for all non-competitive purchases of $2,000 or more.
3.      Under the heading “Justification for Non-Competitive Purchase or
Contract” there are seven (7) items that must be fully documented.
4.      Additional approvals are required for non-competitive purchases
greater than $50,000.
5.      All service contracts of $250,000 or more must be forwarded to the
Tennessee Fiscal Review Committee for their comments.