University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
OP-T2-25: Local Businesses

Reciprocity. Wisconsin law does not provide a preference for in-state businesses. Rather, Wisconsin treats another state’s vendors as our vendors are treated there (i.e., Wisconsin penalizes an out-of-state vendor if its state imposes an in-state preference). Vendors from states without a preference compete on an equal basis with Wisconsin vendors. The absence of an in-state preference allows Wisconsin businesses to compete for contracts in other states without penalty. However, there are Special Statutory Considerations #1 Badger State Industries (BSI). BSI, or Prison Industries, is a Department of Corrections vocational and work skills development program. State law requires agencies and campuses to write specifications that, to the extent possible, permit the purchase of goods or services from BSI. Agencies must purchase from BSI if its pricing is comparable to market prices. BSI contracts include furniture and signage. BSI contracts are mandatory. State Use Program. #2 Agencies and campuses must purchase from State Use contracts awarded to community-based work centers that offer training and jobs to individuals with severe disabilities. Statutes permit a work center to qualify for a contract if it meets the State’s specifications and provides the good or service at or below fair market value. Examples of State Use contracts include clothing, mops and brooms, pens and pencils, food, pallets, first aid kits, toothpaste and vinyl floor mats. The Governor-appointed State Use Board oversees the program; all contracts are mandatory. The UWSP sub-committee on Local Sourcing has adopted the following definition for local purchasing: The purchase of a product/service that has been manufactured, harvested, extracted or supplied within a 400 mile radius of the UWSP campus. Levels of “local” are further defined by tiers of distance for the product/service and business ownership. Tiers of local include: Community – Stevens Point, Plover Immediate – Within 50 miles Intermediate – Within 150 miles Regional – Within 400 miles University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is committed to the use and purchase of environmentally and socially responsible materials and products. The UWSP sustainability task force created a document that outlines the multiple factors that determine UWSP‟s procurement decisions. These procurement decisions amend economic criteria with strong commitments toward environmental and social responsibility.