Research the Requirement

What do you want to buy?

Can you satisfy your requirement by sharing, borrowing or using second-hand equipment, or purchasing jointly with another user?  Can the product or service be obtained from an exisitng collaborative agreement? 

(See http://sites.uk-plc.net/gem/index.htm for a portal displaying all current HE contracts.) 

If new equipment is required, develop a generic description that explains what you want and please do research the market to discover what is available, identify suppliers which might have a suitable product, and it is also useful to establish supplier contact details.