eVA Exclusions
Some purchases are not sent to eVA, the Commonwealth’s eProcurement system. VCU’s purchasing happens in RealSource, and most transactions are sent to eVA in the background. The purchases below are common examples of what is typically excluded.
What this means in practice
- Excluded purchases are not sent to eVA from RealSource.
- No eVA transaction fees apply to either VCU or the vendor on excluded purchases.
- Exclusions are handled within RealSource — in most cases you don’t need to do anything differently.
- If you’re unsure whether a specific purchase is excluded, contact Procurement Services before assuming.
Not the same as Exceptions to Competition
eVA exclusions govern which RealSource transactions get sent to eVA. Exceptions to Competition (ECs) determine which purchases skip the competitive solicitation requirement. The two are related but separate — a purchase can be one, both, or neither.
For the 39 Exceptions to Competition, see the procurement methods reference.
Purchases that are often excluded
The following types of purchases are commonly not sent to eVA. This is a general guide to help you anticipate how a purchase may be handled — it is not a complete or definitive list.
- Advertisements — newspapers, magazines, journals, radio, television
- Entertainment — speakers, lecturers, musicians, performing artists
- Accreditation & academic testing — accreditation fees and testing services
- Exhibition rental — historical artifacts or original works of art
- Medical & dental services — licensed providers for diagnosis or treatment
- Pharmaceuticals & vaccines — within the MMCAP Pharmacy Program
- Legal services — attorneys, expert witnesses, litigation-related services
- Honoraria — honorarium payments
- Conference registrations — registration fees
- Professional organization dues & training — paid directly to the sponsoring organization
- Real estate leases
- Public utilities — electric, natural gas, water, sewer
- Travel & lodging — individual travel and lodging; certain group travel
- Express delivery services — under the statewide contract
- Voyager fuel charge card purchases
- Over-the-counter P-Card purchases picked up at the point of sale
- Surplus property — State and Federal
- Public auctions — non-electronic
- Government-to-government purchases
- Grant disbursements — to public bodies or nonprofit charitable organizations
- Revenue or $0 contracts
- Third-party financing arrangements
- Non-procurement financial transactions — debt service, Medicare/Medicaid, child support, eVA fees
Not sure about a specific purchase?
Whether a purchase is sent to eVA is configured within RealSource, so the list above is general guidance rather than a hard rule. If you need to confirm how a particular purchase will be treated, the RealSource team can give you a definitive answer.
Reach out through a service ticket and route it to Procurement Services.
Need help? Submit a ticket through RamsCentral: VCU IT Self Service > Enter IT Portal > Submit a Request > Procurement Services. Open RamsCentral →