Published on University of Colorado (https://www.cu.edu)

Home > IT Purchases with the Procurement Card

IT Purchases with the Procurement Card [1]

What’s Changing – and Why 

The PSC is updating guidance for IT purchases made with the Procurement Card (PCard). We’re working closely with campus leaders to ensure these purchases align with university policy, IT security standards, and strategic sourcing—while keeping things practical and efficient for departments. 

Our goals are to: 

  • Clarify what can and can’t be purchased using a PCard. 
  • Help departments stay compliant while maintaining efficient operations. 
  • Provide updated policies, targeted training, and helpful reminders in Concur on procurement policies and procedures. 

Action Required

In support of these changes:

  • New applications for cardholders and AOs will be required to complete the new, additional IT Procurement Percipio training course [2] beginning on July 11, 2025.  Log in to Percipio via the employee portal to access the course.
  • All current Procurement cardholders and Approving Officials (AOs) will be required to complete this course by September 1, 2025. 

This short course will address the most compliant and efficient ways to purchase IT at CU.

Important Dates

  • July 11, 2025 
    • New CU: IT Procurement training course available in Percipio  [2]
    • Preview of PCard Handbook updates  
    • Preview of Concur warning messages 
  • September 1, 2025 
    • New IT Procurement Card purchase policies take effect 
    • Deadline for all Cardholders and AOs to complete new training 
    • Update to PCard Handbook is official  
    • Concur warning messages on all IT Expense Types go live

Trainings

Percipio Skillsoft (all available now):

  • Pcard Training - This course has been updated for the new IT purchase guidance. While the revised policy is effective for existing cardholders on Sept 1, new cardholders should be prepared to begin exercising this guidance immediately.
  • Approving Official - This course has been updated for the new IT purchase guidance. While the revised policy is effective for existing cardholders on Sept 1, new cardholders and their Approving Officials should be prepared to begin exercising this guidance immediately.
  • New IT Procurement Course [2] (u00282) -– Required course for all Procurement Card holders and Approving Officials. Log in to Percipio via the employee portal to access the course.

Tools & Resources

  • IT Procurement [3] – The PSC’s IT Procurement page provides detailed information on how to procure IT goods and services including links to existing agreements, campus specific resources, and How-To guides for various commodities.
  • Master Service Agreements (MSAs) [4] – This Commodity Listing page contains the most up-to-date information on available agreements for campus departments. 
  • Campus-Specific IT Procurement Information – Each campus has additional guidance on IT Procurement for campus employees. Please visit your campus page at:
    • Boulder: Standard Computer Hardware and Available Software [5]
    • UCCS: Computer and Software Purchasing for Faculty and Staff [6]
    • Anschutz and Denver: IT Procurement | Fiscal Compliance [7]
    • System Office: Office of Information Security [8]
  • Procurement Card Handbook – Beginning 9/1/2025, the following guidance will be added to the Violations and Prohibited Transactions section of the Procurement Card Handbook:

IT PURCHASES (INCLUDING HARDWARE, SOFTWARE AND SERVICES)

Effective 9/1/2025: Cardholders are prohibited from using the Procurement Card to purchase IT goods or services that are covered under an existing university agreement. This could be an enterprise-wide or campus-wide agreement, a mandatory price agreement, or a master services agreement. Additionally, cardholders cannot use the Procurement Card to make any IT purchases further prohibited by their campus.

Existing IT agreements can be reviewed on the PSC’s IT Procurement page as well as on the campus-specific page links listed below. Cardholders are expected to review existing agreements as well as information on campus-specific restrictions and allowability when considering making any IT purchase on their card.

​Any IT purchase that is eligible to be made on the Procurement Card must have all associated security, compliance, or contractual components reviewed before payment is completed. Refer to the PSC’s IT Procurement webpage [3] for additional guidance.

  • Anschutz Medical Campus [7]
  • Boulder Campus [5]
  • Colorado Springs Campus [6]
  • Denver Campus [7]
  • System Administration  [8]
  • Concur Warnings on IT Expense Types - Beginning 9/1/2025, when Procurement Card expenses are reconciled using an IT Expense Type in Concur (i.e. Software, Computers, etc.), the following message will appear in the expense entry screen reminding cardholders of the limitations on IT purchases using a Procurement Card: 

    Procurement Cards are not to be used for the purchase of IT goods or services that are covered under an existing enterprise-wide or campus-wide agreement. Additionally, cardholders cannot use the Procurement Card to make any IT purchases further prohibited by their campus. Existing IT agreements can be reviewed on the PSC’s IT Procurement page [9] and campus specific guidance can be found in the pages linked below:
    • Anschutz Medical Campus [7]
    • Boulder Campus [5]
    • Colorado Springs Campus [6]
    • Denver Campus [7]
    • System Administration  [8]
  • Office Hours [10]– If you have questions, come chat with us on Zoom.

How to Buy IT Goods and Services

  • 21. IT Professional Services
  • 22. IT Hardware & Maintenance
  • 23. IT Software & Maintenance

21.01 IT Consulting & Developers How-to-Buy IT Consulting and Developers   [11]

21.02 IT Staff Augmentation How-to-Buy IT Staff Augmentation  [12]

21.03 IT Services – Other How-to-Buy IT Services Other [13]

22.01 Computer Data Storage Management Systems How-to-Buy Computer Data Storage Management Systems   [14]

22.02 Computer Equipment & Accessories How-to-Buy Computer Equipment and Accessories  [15]

22.03 IT Hardware & Maintenance – Other How-to-Buy IT Hardware and Maintenance Other [16]

23.01 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Software How-to-Buy Artificial Intelligence AI Software   [17]

23.02 Business Intelligence & Data Analysis Software How-to-Buy Business Intelligence and Data Analysis Software  [18]

23.03 Cloud Computing Software & Services How-to-Buy Cloud Computing Software and Services  [19]

23.04 Computer Game / Entertainment Software How-to-Buy Computer Game Entertainment Software  [20]

23.05 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software How-to-Buy Customer Relationship Management CRM Software  [21]

23.06 Educational Software How-to-Buy Educational Software  [22]

23.07 Enterprise Resource Planning ERP Software How-to-Buy Enterprise Resource Planning ERP Software  [23]

23.08 IT Software Maintenance & Support How-to-Buy IT Software Maintenance and Support  [24]

23.09 Medical Software How-to-Buy Medical Software  [25]

23.10 Network Management Software How-to-Buy Network Management Software [26] 

Have Questions or Feedback? 

Email the PSC [27] or join an upcoming office hours session (Zoom details coming soon). We're here to support you with this Procurement Card policy update designed to increase IT purchase compliance across the campuses.  

Working Group Participants

Name Campus
Sarah Braun Boulder
Erin Hutchinson  Boulder
Catherin Oja Boulder
Heather Cassell Boulder
Jason Swope Boulder
Noah E Judson Boulder
Mike Williamson Boulder
Roy Debashis Denver
Megan Jorgensen Denver
Molly Mumm Denver
Kenny Sisco  Denver
Rachael Larsen Anschutz
Jaymil Patel Anschutz
Anna Alex Anschutz
Fred Manly Denver/Anschutz
Charlotte Russell Denver/Anschutz
Shaun Verdi Denver/Anschutz
Charlie Kuehler UCCS
Charles Wertz  UCCS
Greg Williams  UCCS
Laura Edwards UCCS
Mona Larsen  UCCS
Keith Lehigh  CU System
Jon Sanders (PSC)  CU System
Crystal DiCino (PSC)  CU System
Kadie Goodman (PSC)  CU System
Sophie Lueth (PSC) CU System
Sub Title: 
New Controls and Guidance

Source URL:https://www.cu.edu/psc/it-purchases-procurement-card

Links
[1] https://www.cu.edu/psc/it-purchases-procurement-card [2] http://share.percipio.com/cd/MSYxXyI_m0 [3] https://www.cu.edu/psc/procurement/sourcing/it-procurement [4] https://www.cu.edu/psc/procurement/sourcing/commodity-listing [5] https://oit.colorado.edu/software-hardware/standard-computer-hardware-and-software [6] https://oit.uccs.edu/services/personal-computing-and-devices/facstapurchasing [7] https://www.cuanschutz.edu/offices/fiscal-compliance/resources/it-procurement [8] https://www.cu.edu/security [9] https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cu.edu%2Fpsc%2Fprocurement%2Fsourcing%2Fit-procurement&data=05%7C02%7CSophia.Lueth%40cu.edu%7C48aeb028dbb4432908b408ddae794b31%7Ce889e28f74d447f287e853732cbbe7ec%7C0%7C0%7C638858558273455904%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=HwzjZt7FDPe9yqF4lJfY%2F3ITW59jVmQ1j9dcZzeuBJg%3D&reserved=0 [10] https://www.cu.edu/psc/events [11] https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/How-to-Buy-IT-Consulting-and-Developers [12] https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/How-to-Buy-IT-Staff-Augmentation [13] https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/How-to-Buy-IT-Services-Other [14] https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/How-to-Buy-Computer-Data-Storage-Management-Systems [15] https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/How-to-Buy-Computer-Equipment-and-Accessories [16] https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/How-to-Buy-IT-Hardware-and-Maintenance-Other [17] https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/How-to-Buy-Artificial-Intelligence-AI-Software [18] https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/How-to-Buy-Business-Intelligence-and-Data-Analysis-Software [19] https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/How-to-Buy-Cloud-Computing-Software-and-Services [20] https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/How-to-Buy-Computer-Game-Entertainment-Software [21] https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/How-to-Buy-Customer-Relationship-Management-CRM-Software [22] https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/How-to-Buy-Educational-Software [23] https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/How-to-Buy-Enterprise-Resource-Planning-ERP-Software [24] https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/How-to-Buy-IT-Software-Maintenance-and-Support [25] https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/How-to-Buy-Medical-Software [26] https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/How-to-Buy-Network-Management-Software [27] mailto:psc@cu.edu