FAQs on purchasing at Universität Hamburg

Clarify all requisition matters with the responsible Purchasing Team. If you stay within your budget, purchasing is possible.

Use the purchasing tool SAP SRM or the purchase order request form.

The Purchasing Team will check whether your purchase order request meets all public procurement requirements and commission a supplier. At the same time, you will be sent an email with a PDF of your VOL purchase order.

Once you have received your supplies, please confirm receipt on the delivery slip and forward this to your Purchasing Team. You may send them the delivery slip via fax or internal mail, or email a scan. If your order arrived without a delivery slip, confirm delivery via email.

Facilities with central goods receiving departments handle incoming shipments directly. The central goods receiving department will forward the delivery slips to the responsible Purchasing Team.

Invoices and payments are processed by Universität Hamburg’s central accounting department.

Generally, the net worth of your request is crucial. For purchases up to €100,000, contact the Purchasing Team responsible for you or enter your requirements into the digital purchase order form in SAP-SRM. You can either use an existing framework contract or:

• for amounts up to €1,000—if possible, at least one call for tender
• for amounts between €1,000 and €100,000—at least 3 calls for tender in a simplified procurement procedure.

Totals in excess of these amounts will be conducted via an electronic procurement procedure

by the Strategic Purchasing Team using the eVergabe (e-tendering) platform: 

• €100,000–€221,000: national tendering process
• from €221,000: EU-wide invitation to tender

The Procurement Team and the Strategic Purchasing Team are happy to assist you in obtaining tenders on the basis of a service or purchase description, and provide advice on the specifics of public procurement law.

Calls for tender for deliveries and services with a net value of up to €221,000 will be issues nationally pursuant to the regulations for tenders below the threshold amounts (Unterschwellenvergabeordnung, UVgO) The regulations on EU-wide procurement are also applied within Germany

through the German ordinance on the award of public contracts (Vergabeverordnung, VgV).

Please also refer to the following overview of value limits:

• Wertgrenzenübersicht Liefer- und Dienstleistungen (PDF)

The following value limits apply to construction work:

• Wertgrenzenübersicht Bauleistungen (PDF)

The value limit is only one consideration for the award of public contracts. You should always contact the Procurement Team and the Strategic Purchasing Team with your procurement requirements and questions relating to public procurement law.

Universität Hamburg benefits from several framework agreements negotiated by the City of Hamburg and has also negotiated a number of its own framework contracts The responsible Purchasing Team can advise whether the requested goods can be procured through a framework contract. If you have access to the purchasing tool SAP SRM, you can view and order all items covered by City or University framework contracts.

The time frame for initiating a purchase order depends on various factors.

When all required supporting documents have been submitted, processing normally takes 3 days max.

When all supporting documents required for a tender have been submitted, the tender process may take anything from 2 weeks to 4 months. This is contingent on the type of procurement contract—check the Netto-Wertgrenzen Liefer- und Dienstleistungsbedarfe (PDF) (net value limits for order and service needs) and Netto-Wertgrenzen Bauleistungsbedarfe (PDF) (net value limits for construction tendering) for details.

Contact the Strategic Purchasing Team beforehand so we can provide individual support on your request and schedule.

Get in touch with the responsible Purchasing Team if you are considering a supplier that does not offer delivery on account. If you submit convincing reason, we can arrange for an advance payment or use of a university-issued credit card.

Clarify this question with the Purchasing Team beforehand! In principle, University staff should not advance their own funds when purchasing supplies and services. Exceptions are permitted, however, in case of urgent need. You must sufficiently substantiate the urgency in the reimbursement letter you have to submit to the Purchasing Team.

Service orders are no different to other purchase orders. The threshold amounts for comparable bids are binding as well. Based on your order request, the responsible Purchasing Team will issue a VOL purchase order and place an order with the respective supplier. At the same time, you will be sent an email with a PDF of your VOL purchase order.

If the required services are provided by an individual, refer to the page on independent contractor and fee agreements for further details.

Hiring a caterer is no different to other purchase orders (see “Who is in charge of my purchase request?”). The threshold amounts for comparable bids are binding as well. Based on your order request, the responsible Purchasing Team will issue a VOL purchase order and place an order with the respective supplier. At the same time, you will be sent an email with a PDF of your VOL purchase order.

Refer to Universität Hamburg’s catering guidelines (Executive University Board and faculties):

• Bewirtungsrichtlinie des Präsidiums (PDF, in German only)
• Bewirtungsrichtlinie Fak. Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften (PDF, in German only)
• Bewirtungsrichtlinie Fak. Geisteswissenschaften (PDF, in German only)

Refer to Universität Hamburg’s catering guidelines (Executive University Board and faculties):

• Bewirtungsrichtlinie des Präsidiums (PDF, in German only)
• Bewirtungsrichtlinie Fak. Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften (PDF, in German only)
• Bewirtungsrichtlinie Fak. Geisteswissenschaften (PDF, in German only)

Catering including staff and guests is possible in principle. Get in touch with the responsible Purchasing Team if you have any further questions.

The Regional Computing Center (RRZ) is in charge of cell phone agreements. Your contact person is Michael Köhn.

The Purchasing Team will procure the device for you.

Contact the University Print Service! If the staff are unable to process your order, they will forward it to a suitable external print shop.

Standard-sized small and large parcels (standard dimensions and weight) can be send via the internal mail service. If the internal mail service is unable to dispatch your parcel, contact the responsible Purchasing Team.

If sending to a non-EU country, contact export and custom control at zoll"AT"uni-hamburg.de.

Contact your Purchasing Team immediately if you have or want to make a claim or return an item. Send all related documents to your Purchasing Team (e.g., return slip).

If you return a package to a non-EU country, contact export and custom control at zoll"AT"uni-hamburg.de to check any customs rules and regulations.

There may be customs-related rules and regulations for orders to and from non-EU countries. Contact export and custom control at zoll"AT"uni-hamburg.de.

Send an informal email to the SAP procurement experts within the Mittelweg Purchasing Team: beschaffungswesen"AT"uni-hamburg.de.

The Mittelweg Purchasing Team will get in touch with you to arrange the next steps. When you have been granted access to the purchasing tool, the Purchasing Team will schedule a training session for you.

Check the FAQs on the purchasing tool SAP SRM/MM for further details.

Your SharePoint account statement provides an overview of your current budget, incl. the allocated budget, expenditures, and open orders. Contact the Controlling Section if you need more information on the SharePoint account statement.

Do you have more questions on purchasing? Do not hesitate to contact the responsible Purchasing Team.