New Jersey Statutes Title 18A. Education 18A § 18A-37

a. For all contracts that in the aggregate are less than the bid threshold but 15 percent or more of that amount, and for those contracts that are for subject matter enumerated in subsection a. of N.J.S.18A:18A-5, except for paragraph (1) of that subsection concerning professional services and paragraph (3) of that subsection concerning work by employees of the board of education, the purchasing agent shall award the contract after soliciting at least two competitive quotations, if practicable. The award shall be made to a vendor whose response is most advantageous, price and other factors considered. The purchasing agent shall retain the record of the quotation solicitation and shall include a copy of the record with the voucher used to pay the vendor.

b. When in excess of the bid threshold, and after documented effort by the purchasing agent to secure competitive quotations, a contract for extraordinary unspecifiable services may be awarded when the purchasing agent has determined in writing that solicitation of competitive quotations is impracticable. Any such contract shall be awarded by resolution of the board of education.

c. If authorized by the board of education by resolution, all contracts that are in the aggregate less than 15 percent of the bid threshold may be awarded by the purchasing agent without soliciting competitive quotations.

d. Whenever two or more responses to a request of a purchasing agent offer equal prices and are the lowest responsible bids or proposals, the board of education may award the contract to the vendor whose response, in the discretion of the board of education, is the most advantageous, price and other factors considered. In such a case, the award resolution or purchase order documentation shall explain why the vendor selected is the most advantageous.