UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA

BUSINESS & FINANCIAL SERVICES
PROCUREMENT SERVICES
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA 93106-1150

For the Department: Contracts

This document is intended to provide departmental guidance in making preparations required for any contract request. The materials provided below contain a non-exhaustive general checklist of procedures to follow in order to effectively request a contract.

  1. Does the supplier absolutely require a signature?
    1. Most of our vendors accept a purchase order in lieu of going through the contract process, which can be lengthy. If not, enter the order as a "non-catalog" requisition.
    2. Do NOT sign, or ask anyone in your department to sign. Review the UCSB Delegation of Authority Policy to understand the perils of accidentally signing contracts.
  2. When does the UC require a signed contract?
    1. If Data Security or Privacy applies (software, licensing, SaaS, Cloud, AI, website service, etc.)
    2. Covered Services (Contracting Out Covered Services Guidelines)
  3. Add the supplier into Gateway ASAP, if not already
    1. Submit a Gateway Supplier Add Form.
    2. If you're negotiating between suppliers, such as a venue for a conference or event, ask us to add the suppliers while you're deciding. That streamlines the process when you need to enter the requisition.
  4. Prepare a Gateway Contract Request Form. The Gateway form will become a requisition similar to a vendor blanket, but will route automatically to Contracts. Include:
    1. Supplier's document (quote, proposal, contract, Statement of Work)
    2. Submit Form I: Request for Contract.
    3. For any contracts that include software, licensing, IT services, website access, etc., include an IT Data Security Worksheet.
  5. Scope of Work.
    1. If the scope of work does not make sense to you, it will not make sense to the Contract Analyst preparing your contract.
    2. Please work with your end user to provide a full scope of work.
    3. Check to ensure any dates are correct, and if there are prices/numbers, be sure they add up.
  6. Over $99,999.99 annually?
    Unless the supplier has a UCOP or UCSB competitively bid award, the contract may need to be bid. Contact contracts@bfs.ucsb.edu right away.
  7. Check the details.
    1. Ensure that the version of the supplier's contract being sent is the final version, and the version that the department has approved.
    2. Ensure the accuracy of the contract "Start" and "End" dates on the Contract Request Form, and in the contract itself.
  8. After you submit:
    1. The Requisition will route automatically through departmental approvals, and then to Procurement where it will be assigned to a contracts analyst.
    2. LEAD TIME.
      1. Procurement requires at least two weeks' lead time to start drafting and reviewing contracts.
      2. If the Office of Information Security or the Privacy Officer need to review the service, they require an additional 4 weeks on top of our contracts lead time to inform Procurement if the contract needs extra terms and attachments.
    3. Procurement prepares and redlines contracts for the entire campus and must prioritize each contract in the order of receipt. Contract review and drafting often requires additional information so, to avoid any unnecessary delays, be sure to respond to any information requests and Gateway comments as soon as practicable.
    4. You can check the status of your contract by looking at the Comments tab on the Requisition.
    5. If Procurement sends a Gateway comment or an email to your department with questions about the services or provides information about the contract:
      1. do NOT forward (including copy and paste) these comments or emails to the supplier.
      2. Procurement negotiates on the department's behalf to assure that terms and conditions comply with federal and state law, and UC Policy. While it may seem convenient to forward these communications, doing so could be perilous to Procurement's ability to negotiate. Forwarding internal communications may disclose sensitive, confidential or attorney/client privileged information impairing UC's leverage with a supplier. When certain supplier's terms do not comply with UC Policy, the department must assume the risk of loss in connection with those terms.