Procurement Newsletter July 2026
UC Santa Barbara
Procurement NEWS | July 2026
Table of Contents
- Updates to Form A
- Requisition & Confirming PO's
- FlexCard Audits and Receipt Policy
- Annual Training Requirements
- Accessibility in Contracts
- Refund Payments
- Steelcase: UCSB switches to BKM
- Printed Material Vendors: Bid Award
- Westnet and Past Session Resources
- UCSB EPEAT Purchaser Award
New Accessible Form A & User Guide Available
The UCSB Form A (Source Selection and Price Reasonableness form) has been updated to meet official technical accessibility standards. Going forward, please use the new version available via this link: New Form A.
To help end users complete the form accurately, we have also created a simple, one-page guide featuring helpful tips and best practices. You can access the guide here: Form A Quick Guide.
Requisitions & Confirming PO's
To avoid having your Requisition returned for edits, follow these best practices when entering orders:
| 1. | Documentation is Key: A quote, proposal, or invoice is recommended for all orders. However, it is required for every requisition that stops in Procurement or Equipment Management. |
| 2. | Match the Quote, Line by Line: Include all line items from the quote—including shipping, handling, and labor. Shipping and Handling should be added to the Taxes/S&H tab at the top of your requisition. Orders with lumped items will be returned for correction. |
| 3. | Include Zero Dollar line items: If a vendor quote includes goods or services provided free of charge, please remember to add them as a line item in your Gateway requisition. This ensures items are officially tracked and authorized. |
| 4. | Confirming Order justifications: Under UC Policy BUS-43, making purchases without an official UC purchase order or a signed contract is a policy violation. Confirming Orders must include a thorough justification explaining why the purchase was made unofficially and how the department will avoid repeating the mistake. Incomplete requisitions will be returned for correction. |
FlexCard Audits and Receipt Policy
Please note that FlexCard audits have officially started back up on July 1, 2026. As a reminder, all invoices require a receipt to be created for each transaction. Please review your department’s FlexCard transactions and ensure all accompanying documentation is attached as soon as possible. If you have any questions regarding the audit please reach out to FlexCard@bfs.ucsb.edu.
Annual Training Requirements
Requesters and Department Analysts must refresh their role-specific training annually via the campus Learning Management System (LMS).
Compliance Timeline
Notifications: You will receive an automated notification when your training is due for a refresh. Beginning in August, these system-generated alerts will be issued based on the anniversary of your last completion date.
Deadline: Training must be completed within 30 days of notification to keep your role active.
Roles and Responsibilities
Both Requesters and Department Analysts are designated as transaction "preparers" under Business and Finance Bulletin (BFB) BUS-10 and are delegated Low-Value Purchasing Authority under BFB BUS-43.
The Requester is designated by the department as the authorized low-value buyer. They are accountable for ensuring that every order complies fully with UC and UCSB purchasing policies and procedures.
The Department Analyst shares transaction preparation responsibilities and must maintain active training status to support department purchasing workflows.
Warning: Failure to complete the refresher training within the 30-day window will result in the temporary deactivation of your assigned role.
Accessibility in Contracts
While federal compliance deadlines for digital accessibility were recently extended, please note that UC's compliance efforts remain in effect, and campuses are expected to continue making measurable progress under the current policy.
The UC terms and conditions and IMT-1300 policy requires UC accessibility requirements to be included in all applicable vendor contracts. What this means for you: If a vendor refuses to agree to the UC technical accessibility requirements during contract negotiations, your department may be required to work with ITS and/or the ADA Compliance Office to:
| 1. | Review the vendor's system for compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. |
| 2. | Formulate an official mitigation plan, consistent with the Equally Effective Alternative Accommodation Plan (per the policy). |
| 3. | Obtain approval by the department head for any exceptions. |
Refund Payments
If you need to refund customers, please only submit Form 5 requests if the original transaction was *not* made on a credit card. Per merchant guidelines, refunds for payment originally made by a credit card must be made back to the origin card.
There are certain scenarios where this may not be possible, such as the credit card account being closed, or the transaction has exceeded the refund window (120-180 days). In those instances, AP will work with the department to determine the best method to issue the refund.
For further clarification on processing refunds on credit cards, please reach out to Banking and Merchant Services: merchant.support@bfs.ucsb.edu.
Steelcase: UCSB switches to BKM Office Environments
Tangram will no longer be acting as the Steelcase distributor for the UCSB Campus. Moving forward, bkm Office Environments, located in Camarillo, CA, will serve as the authorized Steelcase dealer for our region. Nothing changes when it comes to the products and services you rely on. Steelcase remains available through the existing contract, and orders will continue to be fulfilled by bkm.
New orders can be placed using the live bkm PunchOut located in Gateway. To help with the transition, Procurement Services is hosting a live info session on Thursday, July 23 at 11:00 a.m. Attendees will get an overview of bkm's product offerings, see a live demo of the new Gateway punchout, and meet our dedicated account manager, Rachel McInerney. Register via Zoom to attend.
If you need immediate assistance with custom quotes or have account questions, Rachel will serve as our primary contact person going forward and can be reached directly:
Rachel McInerney | 805-248-4140 | rmcinerney@bkmoe.com
Printed Material Vendors: Bid Award
We've awarded a new RFP (bid) for Printing and Mailing Services. The below vendors are in Gateway, and can be used over $100,000.00 per year. Feel free to setup a vendor blanket, use individual POs, or use your FlexCard!
- JANO PRINTING & MAILWORKS - Lynda Handgis, lhandgis@janoprint.com
- PINE GROVE INDUSTRIES, INC. - Charles Utts, charles@customprintinginc.com
- BOONE GRAPHICS - Sean Swaim, sswaim@boonegraphics.net
When contacting the vendors, reference the bid #HB04202026P, to ensure you receive the UCSB special pricing. The award is valid through 6/30/28, with the potential for an additional 8 years thereafter.
Procurement Supplier Info Series: Westnet and Past Session Resources
UCSB Procurement Services recently hosted the latest installment of its Supplier Info Series featuring Westnet Inc., a minority-owned small business with a new UC strategically sourced contract. Westnet is established as a supplier in Gateway, offering extensive portfolios in medical, clinical, and laboratory consumables.
The video recording and slide deck from this session are now available. Anyone with a ucsb.edu email address can access the shared Supplier Info Session Google Drive Folder to view these materials.
You can also register via Zoom to join our next live Supplier Info Series session with bkm Office Environments on Thursday, July 23 at 11:00 a.m.
UC Santa Barbara Receives Sixth EPEAT Purchaser Award
UC Santa Barbara is being recognized with its sixth EPEAT Purchaser Award from the Global Electronics Council (GEC), celebrating continued leadership in sustainable electronics procurement. This year, UCSB is being recognized across four product categories.
Read the official announcement from the Global Electronics Council and register to attend the virtual awards ceremony on Thursday, July 23 at 10 a.m.
Announcing New Gateway Catalogs
| 1. | UCSB COSL (Software Licensing) – Hosted Catalog |
| 2. | Steelcase for Furniture with Dealer BKM – Punch-out Catalog |
| 3. | Ferguson Enterprises for Plumbing and Builder Products – Punch-out Catalog |
For questions regarding these new catalogs contact Gatewayhelp@bfs.ucsb.edu.
Office Hours
Starting August 4th, Procurement Office Hours will be monthly (the first Tuesday of every month).
| Procurement | Invoicing Q & A |
|---|---|
| All Hands - Tuesdays, 9-10 am Zoom Link | Tuesdays 3:00 - 3:30 pm Zoom link |
| Equipment Management | FlexCard |
|---|---|
| Tuesdays 2:30 - 3:00 pm Thursdays 10:00 - 10:30 am Zoom link | Tuesdays 2:00 - 2:30 pm Thursdays 10:30 - 11:00 am Zoom link |
Use Our Helpdesk!
Looking for a fast response? Use our online helpdesk system to submit requests and track inquiries.
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.