Procurement Newsletter July 2024
UC Santa Barbara
Procurement NEWS | July 2024
Table of Contents
- Procurement Trainings in LMS
- Event Rental Providers
- UC Santa Barbara EPEAT Purchaser Award
- Changes to Costco ordering
- ODP Order Minimum and Fees
- Small Business First Requisition Guide
Procurement Trainings in LMS
We are excited to announce the relaunch of our Procurement Training Courses offered through the UCSB Learning Center (LMS)! The courses cover a variety of topics pertaining to various Purchasing procedures and protocols including procurement and contract law, conflict of interest, vendoring procedures for Gateway, signing contracts, restricted commodities, federal procurement requirements, customs brokers, when a contract is needed and more!
The first round of courses begin August 6, 2024. Enroll using the links below.
| 1. | Purchasing Basics & the Public Contract Code – Reviewed are CA procurement law, UC purchasing policies such as bids, small business, conflict of interest, and data security. We also discuss signing documents and purchasing ethics as a public employee. |
| 2. | Vendoring Basics – Information on the process for adding a vendor, editing a vendor, who to contact when in need of assistance, what does and does not go into Gateway, and review of additional informational resources such as our website and vendor forms. |
| 3. | Conflict of Interest – This class reviews conflict of commitment, use of University resources, and transactions involving current and former UC employees and near relatives of UC employees. |
| 4. | Restricted Commodities & Customs – This course goes over the highlights of the UCSB Campus Restricted Commodity List, and the routing/approval requirements for Importing goods and Export Control. |
| 5. | Federal Purchasing + Form A review – We review the various procurement requirements in the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB - Uniform Guidance) for federal contracts & grants. Includes overview of the Form A, and what constitutes a justifiable sole source and price reasonableness statement. |
| 6. | Purchase and Revenue Contracts – Sometimes a procurement transaction can be a simple Purchase Order, and sometimes you need a contract. We'll discuss what needs a contract, what to look out for in Click-to-Agree contracts, and problematic provisions for the University. |
| 7. | Independent Contractors & Contracting Out for Covered Services – Reviewed in this brief training are the California labor law (AB5) and UC labor policy (Article 5) governing hiring vendors in certain labor categories. |
Event Rental Providers
UCSB awarded several vendors competitively bid contracts for event rental services. These additions are part of our ongoing efforts to enhance service delivery and provide a broader range of options to support your needs.
These suppliers met the University’s requirements and bring expertise in special event rental services, ensuring that we can better meet the diverse demands of our campus community. Whether you're seeking to hold a small or a large public event, these additions aim to streamline procurement processes and improve accessibility to meet your needs.
To utilize the UCSB contracted pricing and ensure efficient service, we kindly remind all departments to reference contract numbers when contacting these suppliers for quotes.
| Vendor Name | Contact Person | Email & Phone | Contract # |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bright Event Rentals LLC | Tina Alonzo | tina@bright.com Phone: 805.566.3566 | 24341 |
| LBPS Events Inc. dba SPARK Creative Events | Lani Ballonoff | lani@sparkcreativeevents.com Phone: 805.880.1298 | 24342 |
| Santa Ynez Valley Elite Events | Yajahira Gonzalez | info@syveliteevents.com Phone: 805.686.1500 | 24343 |
| The Tent Merchant Inc. | Sherine Leenhouwers | info@thetentmerchant.com Phone: 805.963.6064 | 24344 |
| Town & Country Events Rentals, LLC | Kirk Pallotto | kpallotto@townandcountryevents.com Phone: 818.908.4211 | 24345 |
| PRO EM National Event Services | Christopher Soares | chris.soares@proem.org Phone: 626.246.0244 | 24346 |
| Waveform Events Entertaining & Lighting | Kris Apodaca | kris@waveformevents.com Phone: 800.381.0736 | 24347 |
UC Santa Barbara Announced as a Leader in Sustainable Electronics Procurement with a 2024 EPEAT Purchaser Award
UC Santa Barbara has been recognized as a 2024 EPEAT Purchaser Award winner, celebrating leaders in sustainable electronics procurement. The award comes from the Global Electronics Council (GEC), the non-profit organization that manages the EPEAT ecolabel. EPEAT allows UC Santa Barbara to efficiently address the lifecycle impacts of the electronics we purchase, including computers, displays, printers, copiers, network equipment, mobile phones, servers, photovoltaic modules, inverters, and televisions.
We use EPEAT in purchasing contracts to require that our vendors only provide electronics that meet strict sustainability criteria. These products are more energy efficient, less toxic, longer lasting, and easier to recycle than products that do not meet EPEAT criteria while addressing labor and human rights issues along the entire supply chain.
You’re invited to attend the EPEAT awards ceremony on Thursday, July 25 at 10:00 am. Register for the EPEAT awards ceremony.
Changes to Costco ordering
Costco is no longer accepting new accounts using purchase orders. This was a decision made by Corporate for all the stores, not the local store. Departments with existing accounts are “grandfathered” in, and should see no changes at the membership desk.
For more updated information on how PO’s work at Costco, view the Buying at Costco Guide.
For departments wanting to buy from Costco and don’t already have an account, you can use the FlexCard for your membership fee and non-food/beverage purchases. (Food and beverage purchases can only be paid for with the Corp Card). Costco does not allow accounts in the UCSB or UCSB department name; rather they must be in the individual’s name. Visit the Costco membership desk to discuss how to use your FlexCard to setup a new account, and/or how to use your Flexcard or Corp Card for purchases. Any questions at the desk about UCSB should be directed to the manager Steven Gillespie.
ODP Order Minimum and Fees
All orders with Office Depot (ODP) are subject to an order minimum of $55 order value for free shipping. Orders that do not comply with such minimum order value will be processed subject to a special handling fee ($5.95).
Dear Gateway Users,
As per UC policy BUS-43 (p. 32), it is mandatory to direct all non-construction and non-federally funded purchases valued between $10,000 and $250,000 annually (excluding tax, but including shipping) to a certified Small Business (SB) or Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE).
In line with our commitment to uphold this policy, we have introduced a new resource, the Small Business First Requisition Guide, and updated the Small Business First section in Gateway for requisition submissions. The Small Business First Requisition Guide offers comprehensive insights into the decision-making process and provides step-by-step instructions for submitting requisitions through Gateway. It is essential that you review this guide before initiating any requisitions within the specified value range.
Starting July 1, a new feature will be activated in Gateway to prompt your selection of the appropriate SB First category during requisition submission. If no selection is made, a reminder message will appear in the upper right corner of the requisition, prompting you to complete the Small Business First section located under Additional Order Details.
Should you have any queries or require assistance, please submit a ServiceNow ticket.
For further information about UC Santa Barbara’s Small and Diverse Business program, please visit the UCSB Small and Diverse Business Program Web Page.
Regards,
Jen D. Bowser
UCSB Sustainable Procurement Program Manager and Supplier Diversity Officer
Use Our Helpdesk!
Submit requests and track inquiries directly through our online portal.
UCSB Procurement Processing Times
Standard turnaround times for purchase orders and contracts are available here:
bfs.ucsb.edu/procurement/processing-times
Where is my order?
After pulling up your requisition, locate the "What's Next" section on the right side. The current status will appear in a green checkmark. You can also use the Comment tab to get in touch with the person assigned the requisition.