Formal solicitation as authorized by statutes is the preferred method of procurement when offers of service must be considered. Situations in which non-competitive awards may be appropriate and requirements relating to selection of procedure methods are defined by Oklahoma's Central Purchasing Act, Section 85 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes and briefly listed as:

• (1) exempt professional services. Specific professions that are exempt from competitive bid are described in Section 803 of Title 18 of the Oklahoma Statutes;
• (2) fixed rate contracts.  As specified in the Central Purchasing Act, the contract must provide direct services to clients and be approved by the Commission for Human Services and DCS;
• (3) contracts in which both parties are governmental entities;
• (4) sole source or sole brand contracts. These contracts are utilized only when one source or one brand is singularly and peculiarly qualified;
• (5) a service requirement. A service requirement is not repetitive and the total cost does not exceed $2,500; and
• (6) training registration.
  • (A) Registration fees for conferences, workshops, seminars, and the like are exempt from the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act bidding requirements if all the criteria listed in (i) - (iv) are met.
    • (i) Training is generic, for example, not scheduled exclusively for DHS staff.
    • (ii) Training is billed by individual employee and no other fees are billed, such as travel and per diem for trainer.
    • (iii) Registration fees do not include any provision for meals or lodging.
    • (iv) Any associated agreements do not require any obligation of payment prior to attendance.
  • (B) Training conferences involving numerous divisions and staff are consolidated when possible. Requisitioning units may submit claims not exceeding $2,500 cumulatively directly to DHS Office of Finance for direct payment, and consult with Office of Finance staff for complete instructions. When the total Agency obligation exceeds $2,500, or in the event vendors require any Agency issued purchase order prior to registration, the procedures included in (i) and (ii) of this paragraph apply.
    • (i) The registration packet consists of a completed Form ADM-2, Department of Human Services Requisition, with the names of the prospective attendees, date of training, and total amount of the seminar or conference. A copy of a brochure, agenda, or similar document must be attached.
    • (ii) The Contracts and Purchasing Unit CPO(s) reviews the packet, produces a Form CP-3C, Contract, and distributes the form to the requisitioning unit, DHS Office of Finance, and the vendor.