1. SWAM Procurement Training
Welcome to Old Dominion University’s SWaM Procurement Training. Every year ODU is required to develop a SWaM Plan which details how we as a University will support the Commonwealth’s SWaM Initiative. Our SWaM Plan details the SWaM goals and the Universities strong efforts to foster and increase contracting opportunities, participation and contract awards with SBSD certified SWaM businesses.
SWAM Procurement Training
Presented By
The Department of Procurement Services

2. What is the purpose of this training?
To review ODU’s SWAM plan;
To identify SWAM program requirements; and
To identify department responsibilities.
The purpose of this training is to review ODU’s SWaM Plan; to identify Commonwealth of Virginias SWaM program requirements; and to identify individual/user responsibilities. The University’s aspirational target is 47.5%. This means that 47.5% of University discretionary, spend with certified small, women-owned, minority owned businesses. The current SWaM Plan is located on the Procurement Services website.

3. What is a SBSD SWAM vendor?
A SWAM vendor is a business who is certified through SBSD as being Small, Women-owned, and/or Minority-owned business. SBSD (Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity) is a state agency whose mission is to promote access to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s contracting opportunities and ensure fairness in the procurement process.
SWAM is an acronym which stands for Small, Woman owned and/or minority owned. When we refer to a SWaM vendor, we are referring to a business who is certified through the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (also known as SBSD) as meeting the requirements to be classified as Small, Woman owned and/or minority owned businesses. SBSD is a state agency whose mission is to promote access to the Commonwealth of VA’s contracting opportunities and ensure fairness in the procurement process.

4. What are the goals of SBSD?
To increase the number of certified SWAM businesses in the Commonwealth;
To increase the total amount of State expenditures with SWAM businesses; and
To increase the total number of contracts awarded to SWAM businesses.
SBSD has 3 goals…

5. Why is it important to use SBSD certified SWAM businesses?
The Commonwealth’s SWAM Procurement Initiative was established to enhance business opportunities for small, women-owned and minority- owned businesses, and to ensure a level playing field for all small businesses in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The Commonwealth’s SWaM Procurement Initiative was established by Executive Order 33 to enhance business opportunities for small, women-owned and minority-owned businesses and to establish expenditure goals with SWaM businesses, and reaffirmed by executive order 20.

6. Why is it important to use SBSD certified SWAM businesses?
The University’s SWAM Plan, submitted to the Commonwealth, is modeled after the Commonwealth’s initiative. The University's SWAM Plan will allow for discretion in awards to SBSD certified “small businesses” for procurement transactions up to and not exceeding $10,000.
Modeled after the Commonwealth’s Initiative, the University’s SWaM Plan is submitted to the Commonwealth on an annual basis. The Commonwealth will track our compliance with our Plan and track our progress annually. ODU’s SWaM Plan will allow for discretion by the University procurement officers in awards to SBSD certified small businesses for any procurement up to, but not exceeding, $10,000. University departments have delegated authority up to $4999 pending use of a SWaM or contract vendor.

7. How do I know if a vendor is SBSD certified?
The SBSD website maintains a list of certified vendors. To verify that the vendor is a SWAM certified, search for the vendor by name, commodity or city and look for their certification type.
To be in compliance with ODU’s SWAM Plan, persons with purchasing authority and responsibilities will need to verify their vendor’s SBSD SWAM status prior to purchasing goods or services on behalf of Old Dominion University. SBSD maintains a list of SWAM certified vendors on their website. You may search the SBSD database by vendor name or commodity. When reviewing the SBSD certified vendor list, there certification designation will be noted next to their name. Campus requestors may also contact Procurement Services for assistance with locating SWaM firms.

8. What are the eVA Purchasing Guidelines?
$0-5,000: Non-Exempt, non-contract purchases shall be issued to a contract or SBSD certified small business where available and when prices are fair and reasonable. $>$5,000: Requisitions shall be submitted in eVA and will be electronically routed to Procurement Services for review and processing. Procurement Officers are authorized to use independent judgement and may award to a SBSD certified small business up to $10,000 where available and when prices are fair and reasonable. Requisitions $5,000-$50,000 may be processed via the eVA Quick Quote tool or issued against an existing contract.
Campus departments are delegated purchasing authority up to $5,000 pending use of a contract or SWaM certified business. For purchases greater than $5,000, requisitions shall be submitted in eVA and will follow an electronic approval process, which includes approval and processing by Procurement Services. Procurement Officers at ODU are authorized by the SWaM Plan to use independent judgment and may award to a SBSD certified small business up to $10,000 where available and when the small business’s prices are fair and reasonable. Requisitions for non-contract purchases between $5,000-$50,000, may be processed via the eVA Quick Quote tool.

9. What are the eVA Purchasing Guidelines? (continued)
>$50,000: Procurement Services shall use eVA’s VBO (Virginia Business Opportunities) site to post all formal competitive solicitations.
Procurement Services shall make every effort to encourage SWAM participation for Sole Source and Emergency procurements.
The Department of Procurement Services will post all formal competitive solicitations over $50,000 in eVA on the Virginia Business Opportunities (also referred to as VBO) website. This website can be found through the eVA homepage and is referenced at the end of this presentation. For sole source and emergency procurements, Procurement Services shall make every effort to encourage SWaM participation.

10. What are the PCard Purchasing Guidelines?
Individual cardholder transaction limits will be based upon supervisor approval.
All non-exempt, non-contract PCard transactions shall be placed through a SBSD certified small business where available and when prices are fair and reasonable.
All PCard guidelines must be followed and the transaction limits for individual cardholders will be based upon the approval of the cardholder’s supervisor. To comply with ODU’s SWaM plan, all non-exempt PCard transactions shall be placed through a contract or SBSD certified small business where available and when prices are fair and reasonable.

11. What are the Non-eVA User Purchasing Guidelines?
PCard should be used for purchases less than $5,000 up to the cardholder’s limit for those transactions allowable on the PCard.
When a PCard cannot be used, non-eVA user departments shall submit requisitions to Procurement Services for processing in eVA.
All non-exempt, non-contract requests to purchase shall be placed with a SBSD certified small business where available and when prices are fair and reasonable.
For those departments who do not use eVA, the PCard should be used for purchases less than $5,000 up to the cardholder’s limit. When a PCard cannot be used non-eVA user departments shall submit a requisition to Procurement Services for processing in eVA. All non-exempt, non-contract requests to purchase shall be placed with a SBSD certified small business where available and when prices are fair and reasonable.

12. How to I justify not using a SBSD certified vendor?
eVA users and PCardholders shall make every effort to use SBSD certified businesses where available and when prices are fair and reasonable.
The cardholder and supervisors electronic approval of PCard transactions in Bank of America ‘Works’ system certifies that efforts have been made to use SWaM vendors and that the transactions comply with the University's SWAM Plan.
eVA users and PCard Cardholders shall make every effort to use SBSD certified SWaM businesses where available and when prices are fair and reasonable.

13. Summary of Procurement Limits
Requisition Amount
Type of Purchaser
Allowable Action(s)
$0 - $5,000
PCard Holder
PCard may be used up to the cardholder’s transaction limit in accordance with PCard policies and procedures, and shall utilize a contract or SBSD certified small business where available and when prices are fair and reasonable.
Non-eVA User
Non-eVA departments shall use the PCard up to the cardholder’s limit or submit a paper requisition to Procurement Services and shall utilize a contract or Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD) certified small business where available and when prices are fair and reasonable.
eVA User
eVA departments shall utilize a contract or SBSD certified small business where available and when prices are fair and reasonable.
>$5,000
eVA user shall submit the requisition in eVA for electronic routing to Procurement Services.
$5,000 - $50,000
Procurement Services
All requests between $5,000 - $50,000 may be processed via eVA QuickQuote, unless award can be made to a SBSD certified small business up to $10,000 or an existing contract
>$50,000
Procurement Services shall use eVA’s VBO (Virginia Business Opportunities) site to post all formal competitive solicitations.
Here is a quick reference table of the procurement limits and SBSD small business usage requirements as detailed in ODU’s SWaM Plan. You may want to pause the presentation at this time to print this screen for future reference. If you right click with your mouse, a small menu will appear. Click on print slide if you would like to print only this slide at this time.

14. Any questions?
If you have any questions regarding use of SBSD SWAM vendors, please contact the office of Procurement Services via at or call us at and we will be happy to assist you.
If you have a vendor who would like information on becoming SBSD SWAM certified, please direct them to SBSD website at
If you have any questions regarding ODU’s SWaM plan, delegated purchasing authority limits, or the use of a contract or SBSD certified SWaM vendor, we at the office of Procurement Services will be happy to speak with you. We can be reached via or telephone. If you have a vendor who would like information on becoming a SBSD certified SWaM vendor, please direct them to the SBSD website. SBSD certification will not only allow ODU to use this vendor, but will also help the vendor become more visible through the Commonwealth of Virginia’s procurement system.

15. Glossary SBSD: Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity
eVA: the Commonwealth of Virginia’s internet based electronic procurement system
PCard: Purchasing Card
SWAM: Small, Woman-owned and/or Minority-owned business
VBO: Virginia Business Opportunities
Here is a quick recap of the acronyms and terms heard in this training presentation with which you may not be familiar. This Glossary can also serve as a quick memory jogger to see what you remember about each of these terms with in the context of this presentation.

16. Reference Sites ODU Department of Procurement Services
SBSD Website
Virginia Business Opportunities (VBO)
If you would like additional information regarding any of the topics discussed in this presentation you can visit these websites. Thank you for taking the time to complete this training. Please continue to the next and final slide for instructions on how to verify your attendance.

17. Attendance Verification
Now that you have completed the ODU SWaM Procurement Training, please use the following link to submit verification of your attendance:
Click Here
Now that you have completed the ODU SWaM Procurement Training, please click on this link to submit verification of your attendance.
Training is not considered complete until the online certification form has been received electronically by Procurement Services.