Buying Things
The following outlines the Hackspace procurement system through which any member can buy things to improve the space.
The system is divided into two separate systems: 1. Purchase Proposals - any item which is not covered by the consumables list. This could include deviations from a consumable, infrastructure projects, or buying equipment. 2. Consumables - Items which are expected to be replaced frequently. This includes blades, paper products, electronics components, cleaning equipment, oils, adhesives, etc.
Purchase Proposals
Purchase proposals can only be put forward by any active member by creating a thread in the “Purchase Proposals” section of our online forum.
A purchase proposal should consist of the following: * A clearly defined aim, including who it will affect and how. * State any resources required and who will undertake any work needed. * Name/description of each item * Include a budget, this may include: * Itemised cost * Number of units * Total cost of proposal * On-going consumables * Link to purchases
Some other considerations you may wish to discuss: * Where will it be stored/installed? * If this replaces existing equipment, what will happen to the old? * Risk assessments * Inductions process if required * How will it be funded? Fully funded, part funded, crowd funded, etc.
A proposal is intended to be a commitment to the wider membership of both what is being purchased, how the proposal will be delivered, and it should be inclusive of all costs & considerations required to deliver it. A proposal should not materially change once raised, or in response to comments; if a proposal needs to be amended, please close the proposal and create a new one.
To avoid an unnecessary cycle of amended proposals being raised, members are encouraged to raise proposal development threads to discuss and work out the details of a proposal before formally raising one, where that might be helpful. For example if a group of members wish to invest in a new capability, but aren’t sure exactly what materials or supplies would be needed to deliver it.
The Purchase Proposal System does not currently enable budgeting for loosely-defined purchases. For example, £2000 for a really nice lathe if one comes up at auction. We recognise that whilst we might miss out on good deals because of this, due to the time it would take to author an appropriately detailed proposal and seek approval, we put greater value on making careful & considered purchasing decisions with our collective funds.
Membership Approval
Purchase proposals require general member support and board member approval before they are formally approved for purchase. Levels of support required are grouped by price, see ‘Proposal Bands’ below.
Member or board-level approval must be declared by the relevant member lending their approval on the purchase proposal’s forum thread to ensure approval can be appropriately authenticated. Support lent verbally or via other channels (e.g. Telegram) is not recognised by the Purchase Proposal System.
Members can show their support for the proposal on the final thread by commenting affirmatively (e.g. “+1”, “I support this proposal!”).
Board Member Approval
Board members fulfil a procedural role in ensuring the proposal is aligned with the aims & ambitions of the Hackspace, and that the Hackspace is in a position to accept the proposal. Board members will review proposals by considering at least the following: * Health and safety/risk assessments * Financial viability * Compliance with legal duties * Effects on membership * Impact on the physical space.
Board members will show their approval on the final thread by commenting affirmatively, and mentioning that their support reflects board member approval. E.g. “+1 board”.
Board members may choose to lend their support to a proposal as a general member as well as lend their procedural approval as a board member, although doing both will generally be avoided to minimise conflicts of interest.
The member who authored the proposal should keep a tally of member & board member approval on the main thread, which will help them keep track of when approval thresholds have been reached.
Proposal bands
Purchase proposals are grouped by price, with each band having a different number of independent supporting members/board members to be approved. * Micro Proposal <=£100 - 2 general members and 1 board member * Small Proposal £100< and <= £250 - 5 general members and 2 board members * Medium Proposal £250< and <= £750 - 10 general members and strict majority of board members * Large Proposal > £750 - See below
Large Proposals
Large purchase proposals represent a significant investment for the Hackspace, and must be taken to the next members meeting for discussion and an in-person vote for approval.
We aim to hold at least 4 members meetings per year (including our Annual General Meeting), and the agenda for each members meeting is locked 7 days before the date of the meeting. If a large purchase proposal is after the meeting’s agenda has been locked, it will be added to the agenda of the following meeting instead.
Large proposals are more likely to benefit from pre-proposal discussion threads, as a failed proposal will have to wait roughly 3 months before any amendments can be voted on again.
The in-person votes for large purchase proposals work as per the voting rules in our articles of association, with the additional rule that 'A present member can only represent 3 proxy votes.'
The default voting options for a large purchase proposal will be “Yes”, “No”, and “Abstain”.
A large purchase proposal can include suggestions on alternate voting options, which the board of directors will consider during the board review step and coordinate with the author to agree appropriate voting options before proposal’s inclusion in the members meeting agenda. If this cannot be agreed in a timely fashion, the proposal may either be included in the upcoming members with the default voting options, or deferred to a later members meeting with more appropriate voting options.
Purchase & delivery of an approved proposal
A proposal is considered approved once a proposal has reached enough member & board member approval, as per the above proposal bands.
The member who authored the proposal may then purchase the items contained within the proposal, and later request reimbursement from the Hackspace.
We allow a 10% margin on the approved budget in case items being purchased have changed price. This is intended to avoid unnecessarily rejecting a proposal for small price variations; it is not intended to allow items in the proposal to be substituted or alternate purchases to be made.
We encourage members to have items delivered to themselves, as the Hackspace is not staffed and cannot take deliveries at its address. Where the authoring member might not be able to receive the purchases members may organise alternate recipients amongst themselves.
The authoring member may contact the board on board@hacman.org.uk if they would prefer the Hackspace purchase items directly, or to seek alternate delivery arrangements.
All purchases should be made within 90 days of approval, unless otherwise agreed. Proposals that are not purchased within this timeframe will be considered abandoned, and may not be reimbursed. This is to ensure the Hackspace does not have money ‘locked up’ in stale proposals.
Consumables
Hackspace Manchester aims to maintain a small stock of consumables within the Hackspace for members to use. There is a central list of pre-approved consumables which can be found at the link below, alongside the pre-approved cost, recommended suppliers, and permitted purchasers.
For items that list “Members” as the permitted purchaser, members can purchase and replenish the Hackspace’s supplies of this item and request reimbursement using the “Request Reimbursement” form linked later in this document. For items listing “Area Coordinator” or “Board” as the permitted purchaser, only members within those groups may purchase the item.
The prices are listed inclusive of VAT, where relevant, and we allow up to 10% overspend on the pre-approved price to account for variations in price over time or amortisation of additional costs, such as delivery fees.
The consumables list is intended for small and frequent replenishment of our consumable supplies. If we need a significant restock of a particular set of consumables (in either quantity or cost) please email board@hacman.org.uk before purchasing. In some circumstances, the board might request a purchase proposal to be raised instead to enable discussion and transparency around significant spends.
Any item can apply to become a consumable with the support of the board OR by a majority vote at any members meeting. Items can be later withdrawn from the list by majority vote at members meeting or by the board at their own discretion; this must be recorded in the published minutes or in a forum post with a stated reason for removal.
Reimbursement
Fill in this Google form, providing your proof of purchase within 90 days of the proposal being approved. You can expect reimbursement within 30 days of submission. In circumstances where the member does not have sufficient funds to make the purchase themselves, they should make a request for purchase via board@hacman.org.uk.