How to order software

Before buying software, check what Virginia Tech already provides and whether your department has a license you can use.

You can get quotes from vendors and work directly with your department’s fiscal contact. AAD IT can help with choosing software, licensing questions, installation or administrator access. Open a ticket whenever you need that help.

Find the software

Browse the catalog by what you need the software to do, or search it by name. Each category lists departmental software first, with prices and renewal dates. Open the full VT catalog.

Departmental software purchases are for employees doing departmental work. Check each product’s eligibility before ordering.

Prices were checked October 3, 2026. Check the current price when placing an order, and get a quote where one is required.

Check existing software agreements

If the software isn’t in the departmental catalog, check the approved agreements listed in each category. Sign in with your VT login to see them. The list comes from Procurement’s active agreements as of October 5, 2026; VT’s software agreements service has the current list.

Check that the agreement is current and covers how you’ll use the software. If it does, ask the listed vendor or contact for a quote, then give it to your fiscal contact for HokieMart. A different use or type of data may need another review. Procurement can help if the agreement’s coverage is unclear.

Low-risk, low-cost software

This route may apply when the purchase or annual subscription costs $10,000 or less and the software will handle only low-risk data. It must also meet VT’s requirements for departmental scope, eligible suppliers and accessibility.

It can’t use VT logins or credentials, connect to VT enterprise systems or systems holding moderate- or high-risk data, handle regulated data or data-sharing agreements, collect or distribute university money, or support an essential university-wide service. Use must stay within one Senior Management area or research project. Read the full criteria.

Submit the Low-Risk, Low-Cost review form and get Department Head approval before buying. The requester and approver must be different people. Free software also needs review through this route.

Other software purchases

For software that doesn’t fit the options above, get a vendor quote and any license agreement or terms. Give those to your fiscal contact, along with a description of what the software will do and the data it will use. Your fiscal contact enters the HokieMart request, and Procurement coordinates the required review before purchase. VT’s purchasing instructions.

Start early, particularly if you have a renewal deadline. Don’t buy software on a personal card and request reimbursement.

What your fiscal contact needs

Include the software and version, number of licenses, who will use them, operating system, price or quote, license term and deadline. For renewals, include the existing license information. Add the required order form, agreements and any approval already obtained. Your fiscal contact can supply or verify the department’s organization and funding information.

For IT and fiscal staff: preparing the HokieMart request

For departmental software, use supplier VT Departmental Software, one requisition line for all software and one total. Attach the Departmental Software Order Form and any required signed license agreements as external attachments. Use one department organization number. The PDF’s Publisher (Vendor) field identifies the software publisher.

Fill the department, license-responsible person and email, mail code, publisher, product, selected operating system, quantity, unit price, total, and installer name/PID from the request and verified purchasing information. Leave office-use fields to the Software Service Center. Departmental ordering instructions.

For an approved low-risk purchase, use account 22188, attach the approval email and enter its approved RITM number in the designated General field, not internal notes. New web-hosted software requiring review uses account 12755 or 12756. Confirm the correct funding and account information for the purchase. Procurement instructions.