University of Illinois System
Buying & Contracts

Small Purchase Limits / Competitive Solicitation Thresholds

The Illinois Procurement Code has established small purchase limits/competitive solicitation thresholds for individual procurements of supplies, services, professional and artistic services, and procurement of construction. The small purchase limits/competitive solicitation thresholds are shown in the chart below.

Purchase Type Small Purchase Limit / Competitive Solicitation Threshold
Supplies, Equipment or General Services (Excludes Professional & Artistic Services) Less than or equal to $100,000
Construction Less than or equal to $100,000
Professional and Artistic Services including:
  • Law
  • Accounting
  • Medicine
  • Dentistry
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Custom-Produced Art
Less than $100,000

Those construction-related professional services subject to the Architectural, Engineering and Land Surveying Qualifications Based Selection Act [30 ILCS 535] are exempted from the Procurement Code, and currently are required to be procured through competitive selection procedures if greater than or equal to $25,000.

Real property purchases and capital improvement leases continue to be subject to competitive solicitation through a request for information (RFI) if the purchase/lease is greater than or equal to $100,000 per year or greater than or equal to 10,000 square feet of space.

A notice is posted with the rules as they are published at the Illinois Procurement Bulletin - Public Institutions of Higher Education.

Who to Ask

Contact information for the Purchasing offices can be found on the Purchasing & Contract Management About page.