What is the sole source justification form template?
Most purchasing policies expect competing quotes above a certain value, with an exception when only one supplier can genuinely do the job. That exception needs to be written down: what is being bought, why this supplier is the only practical option, what research was done, and why the price is fair. Without that record, a sole-source purchase is hard to defend at audit.
This sole source justification form covers it in three pages. The first records the requester, the item, estimated total value, contract term, requisition number, when it's needed and the supplier. The second asks for the main reason — a unique capability, proprietary or compatible item, warranty or licensing requirement, continuation of existing work, an emergency or a standardisation decision — and then why the supplier is the only practical option, the market research done, alternatives considered and the consequence of not buying.
The last page explains how the price was judged reasonable, attaches the supplier's quote, records any conflict of interest and names the approver, before the requester signs a declaration. Each justification is saved as a signed PDF in your FileIt vault. The form doesn't decide whether a sole-source purchase is allowed — that's set by your own policy and any rules that apply to your organisation.
- Best for
- Procurement teams, public bodies, schools, universities and nonprofits with purchasing policies
- Filled in by
- The staff member requesting the purchase
- Time to complete
- About 15 minutes
- Includes
- Reason picker, market research, price reasonableness checklist, quote upload, conflict question and signature
Who uses a sole source justification form?
- Buying spare parts that only the original maker supplies
- Renewing software licences or support from the vendor that owns the product
- Continuing a project with the contractor that started it
- Documenting an emergency repair bought without quotes
- A research team buying specialist equipment from one manufacturer
- Keeping a defensible record for internal or external audit
Questions on this sole source justification form
27 questions over 3 pages · includes signature, file upload, conditional questions, multiple pages, consent checkbox.
1 Purchase & supplier
- Your name*
- Department*
- Email*
- What is being bought?*
- Estimated total value*
- Contract term, if any
- Requisition or PO number
- Needed by
- Supplier*
- Supplier contact
- Supplier email
2 Justification
- Main reason for buying from this one supplier* Only supplier able to provide it · Proprietary item or compatibility with existing equipment · Warranty, licensing or maker's requirements · Continuation of existing work · Emergency — no time to seek quotes · An agreed standardisation decision
- Describe the emergency and what happens if the purchase is delayed* asked only when it applies
- Why is this supplier the only practical option?*
- What market research did you do?*
- Alternatives considered
- What happens if this purchase can't be made from this supplier?
3 Price & approvals
- How do you know the price is reasonable?* Compared with previous purchases · Supplier's published price list · Prices paid by other organisations · Independent cost estimate · Negotiated a discount · Breakdown of the supplier's quote
- Explain the price comparison*
- Supplier quote*
- Do you have any conflict of interest with this supplier?*
- Describe the conflict* asked only when it applies
- Budget holder or approver*
- Their job title
- Declaration*
- Requester signature*
- Date*
The sole source justification form, page by page
1 Purchase & supplier
The requester enters their name, department and email, describes what is being bought, and gives the estimated total value. Contract term, requisition or PO number and the needed-by date are optional. The supplier's name is required, with an optional contact and email.
2 Justification
Main reason for buying from this one supplier offers six common reasons, with room for another. Choosing an emergency opens a required box describing the emergency and what happens if the purchase is delayed.
Why is this supplier the only practical option? and What market research did you do? are both required, with help text asking for specifics and the other suppliers looked at. Alternatives considered and the consequence of not making the purchase complete the case.
3 Price & approvals
A required checklist records how the price was judged reasonable — previous purchases, a published price list, prices paid elsewhere, an independent estimate, a negotiated discount or a quote breakdown — followed by an explanation and the supplier's quote as an upload.
A required conflict-of-interest question asks for detail when the answer is yes. The budget holder or approver is named, and the requester agrees to a declaration, signs and dates the form.
Make the template yours
- Add a paragraph quoting your own purchasing policy's thresholds and approval levels
- Change the reason options to match the exemptions in your policy
- Add a second signature for the approver if approval is recorded on the form
- Change the currency on the value field
- Notify procurement automatically when a justification is submitted
- File justifications in a vault folder by financial year for audit
Tips for a better sole source justification form
- Be specific about why the supplier is unique; "they're the best" or "we've always used them" rarely holds up
- Record the other suppliers you looked at, even if they couldn't meet the need
- Check the price against something concrete, such as last year's invoice or a published list
- Submit before committing to the purchase, not after
- Revisit recurring sole-source purchases periodically — the market may have changed
- If rules specific to your sector or funding apply, check the form covers what they require
Every response becomes a PDF in your vault
The signed justification is saved as a PDF in the vault folder you choose, with the supplier's quote attached. Procurement is emailed when it's submitted, and the requester can receive a copy.
The Responses table lists every justification so procurement can track volume and value by department, and export to CSV for audit or reporting.
- Start from this template. It opens in the FileIt Forms designer — change any question, add pages, set the rules for when questions appear.
- Share it. Turn on a public link, or send it to people by email, each with their own link. They don’t need a FileIt account.
- Get the answers as PDFs. Each response is saved as a PDF in the vault folder you choose, with uploaded files attached — and listed in a Responses table you can export to CSV.
Sole source justification form: frequently asked questions
Is this template free?
Yes. It's included in the FileIt Forms app on every account, including the free plan, and every question can be edited, removed or added to.
Does this form make a sole-source purchase compliant?
No. It documents the justification. Whether a sole-source purchase is allowed depends on your organisation's purchasing policy and any rules that apply to you.
Is the form signed?
Yes. The requester agrees to a declaration and signs on screen; the signature appears on the saved PDF.
Can the supplier's quote be attached?
Yes. The quote upload is required and takes up to 3 PDF, Word or Excel files.
Can I add the approver's signature?
Yes. Add a second signature field in the designer if the approver signs the same form.
What if the purchase was an emergency?
Choose Emergency as the main reason; the form then asks you to describe the emergency and the consequence of delay.
Do requesters need a FileIt account?
No. Anyone with the form's link can fill it in without creating a FileIt account.
Can I change the list of reasons?
Yes. Edit the options in the designer so they match the exemptions in your own policy.