As shared in our FY26 orders announcement in March, the State of Connecticut Department of Administrative Services has confirmed that General Letter 71 will be substantially revised, and its sourcing exemptions will no longer apply as of July 1.
Previously, General Letter 71 allowed state agencies—including the University—to bypass competitive bidding for certain purchases, such as software renewals and hotel/event venues. These exemptions enabled Procurement to assist departments in acquiring specific goods and services more quickly.
Effective July 1, 2025:
- General Letter 71 will no longer be a valid sourcing option.
- It will be removed from all HuskyBuy forms.
- Departments must follow standard sourcing guidelines and thresholds for all purchases.
- Please see announcement where the bid thresholds were increased on 10/1/2023, as these general increases should help mitigate some concerns. Additionally, please refer to our Introduction to Purchasing guide for further information on sourcing practices.
Procurement is working on new policies to help streamline certain purchases. In the meantime, departments are encouraged to:
- Review current sourcing requirements.
- Contact the appropriate Category Manager to explore alternative sourcing strategies.
If you have questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Procurement.