Comptroller's Oversight of State Contracts

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Contracts by the Numbers Mid 2026 Chart Update

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Comptroller DiNapoli Ensures State Procurements Provide the Highest Value to New Yorkers

For more than a century, the Comptroller’s Office has conducted independent, pre-review of State and limited Public Authority contacts, adding transparency to the process and resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in savings for taxpayers each year. As government contracting expands in size, scope and complexity this oversight is more important than ever.

The Comptroller's contract oversight extends to most State agency contracts, generally those where the contract value exceeds $50,000. The Comptroller may also review State public authority contracts valued at more than $1 million if they are either awarded noncompetitively or paid in whole or in part from State appropriations. In addition, any State agency seeking to waive competitive bidding and receive an exemption from its statutory requirement to advertise a procurement opportunity in the New York State Contract Reporter must first receive approval from the Comptroller's Office.

Benefits of the Comptroller’s Review

 Promotes fair competition to ensure the best price and overall value for the State

 Detects fraud and waste before tax dollars are spent

 Confirms funding availability so that agencies do not overspend

 Verifies vendor responsibility

 Adds transparency to the process

Review Has Little Impact on the Overall Time Frame of Procurements

Comptroller DiNapoli's procurement experts and legal team are sensitive to agency deadlines and the State’s business needs and understand that delays can cost New York’s taxpayers and businesses money, keep workers idle, and harm not-for-profits.

2026 Results Demonstrate Cost-Effective Oversight


13,574

Total Agency Contracts Received



6.55 Days

Average Time for Contract Review



89%

Reviewed Within 15 Days


Average Days to Review Contracts

Value of Contracts Reviewed by Calendar Year

Less Than 1 Percent of Contracts Take Longer Than 45 Days to Review

 

The very small percentage of contracts completed after the 31 day timeframe are generally due to complex procurements and/or protest procurements.

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Contract Review Highlights

Finding Opportunities to Renegotiate and Save Costs

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) submitted a contract for statewide forest pest control. While reviewing the contract, OSC requested further price justification from OPRHP. OPRHP successfully negotiated lower rates, saving the state $152,250.

The SUNY Upstate Medical University (Upstate Medical) requested to waive competitive advertising requirements for the purchase of software and support for a neurosurgery cranial navigation system. OSC identified that comparable contracts provided better discounts. Upstate Medical successfully negotiated an overall discount with the vendor, saving the State $23,292. 

Identifying Costly Errors and Contract Duplication

During review of a lease agreement submitted by the City University of New York (CUNY), OSC identified that the estimated taxes were significantly higher than the taxes on the current lease. CUNY determined their calculation was wrong. The contract was resubmitted with corrected calculations of the real estate taxes, resulting in the potential savings of $13,087,172.

During review of a State University of New York College at New Paltz (SUNY New Paltz) construction contract for HVAC equipment, OSC identified that contract total included a duplicative cost for an additional air handler. SUNY New Paltz corrected the error, saving the State $99,900.

Ensuring a Level Playing Field for Vendors

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) submitted the purchase of an aerial lift with tracks for the Clark Reservation State Park. As part of its review, OSC identified that none of the bidders met the minimum specifications stated in the bid document. The contract was non-approved, and OPRHP rebid with updated specifications resulting in a savings of $16,393. 

During review of a State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill (SUNY Cobleskill) contract for facilities and academic scheduling software, OSC identified that the RFP was advertised as a discretionary procurement, but the recommended awardee was not a vendor certified under Article 15-A of the Executive Law. In addition, the mandatory requirements appeared to have been waived for certain vendors. The transaction was non-approved, and SUNY Cobleskill was requested to rebid the services using the appropriate advertising category and updated specifications. Using the appropriate advertising categories and updated specifications ensures an open and fair procurement process.