Event Rental Providers

The following vendors were awarded a master campus RFP (bid) in 2024, which means they agreed to the UC Terms and Conditions, have special discounted pricing, and do not require signatures for individual event contracts:

When contacting the vendors, please make sure you reference their contract number (listed above) and the special pricing UCSB has through our bid number HB02202024P. The award and contracts are valid through April 30, 2029, with the potential for extension through 2034.

Audio Visual Services

Classroom audio-visual equipment and installation services can be paid through a UCSB purchase order. The following vendors were awarded a master campus RFP (bid) in 2022:

When contacting the vendors, please make sure you reference their contract number (listed above) and the special pricing UCSB has through our bid number HB06302022Q. The award and contracts are valid through 8/2027, with the potential for extension through 2032.

Public funds and University resources cannot be used for personal purchases per UC Policy BUS-43.

Processing Times

Service level agreement for goods and services:

  • Standard requisitions (non-catalog, catalog, vendor blankets, etc.): 5 days from submission to Procurement to the vendor.
  • Contract Request Forms or Revenue Contracts: 4 weeks from submission to Procurement to the first draft of redlines to the vendor. Actual completion of the contract (all parties have signed) could be longer than this depending on the complexity of the negotiation and data security (see below on *Exceptions).
  • Contract Amendments: 2 weeks for renewals that do not merit data security review, and 4 weeks for those that require additional or new data security to align with current requirements
  • Leased equipment: 30 days
  • Sole Sources over $100k: 10 days
  • Conflict of Interest review: 2 weeks
  • Formal bids (RFPs or RFQs): 2-4 weeks
  • Boat and Air Charters: 3-6 weeks
  • Vendor additions with completed forms: 1-2 business days
  • Vendor additions without forms: 1-2 weeks
  • Vendor updates: 1 week

*Exceptions that might take longer to process can include, but aren’t limited to the following:

  • HIPAA / Data Security / PCI / GDPR related orders (SaaS, Cloud Services)
  • Prevailing Wage related orders
  • Using the supplier's contract format
  • Contracts addressing a Limitation of Liability

What is Taxable?

The tax rate for deliveries to the UCSB campus is 7.75%. Deliveries to addresses in the City of Santa Barbara are taxed at 8.75%.

Taxable and Non-Taxable Commodities Table

Commodity Taxable Non-Taxable Comments
Tangible Personal Property ("Things") X   Exception: Federal-Title Inventorial (over $5,000) assets.
Gift Cards   X  
Labor - Installation   X  
Labor - Repair   X  
Labor - Fabrication X    
Labor - Assembly X    
Maintenance Contracts - Mandatory X    
Maintenance Contracts - Optional   X If listed and priced separately on invoice.
Printed Sales Messages (Catalogs, Letters, Circulars, Brochures, Pamphlets)   X Non-taxable if all following conditions are met: (1) primary purpose is advertising, (2) printed by special order of the University, (3) mailed/delivered by seller via United States Postal Service or common carrier, and (4) received at no cost to participant.
Printing Services X   All printing of non-advertising materials.
Purchases for Resale   X Only applies when University buys tangible personal property which it in turn resells to another entity (for example, the Bookstore) and collects sales tax at the time of the resale. The University buyer must present the seller with a Resale Certificate in order to have tax waived.
Services   X Except "services that are part of a sale," such as design, fabrication, testing, etc.
Delivery/Courier Services   X  
Employment Services   X  
Software - Boxed X   100% taxable, including license fees, site licensing, and other user-end fees; also, any mandatory maintenance contracts or consulting services. Optional maintenance contracts are 50% taxable.
Software - Downloaded   X Including any mandatory or optional maintenance contracts.
Software - Custom   X Including any mandatory or optional maintenance contracts, and any separately stated modification charges. Boxed software is non-taxable if the customization increases the standard cost by 50% or more.
Subscriptions   X  
Warranties - Mandatory X    

Shipping Vendors: UPS and FedEx

UCOP has master contracts with both UPS and FedEx. Contacts are as follows:

For international shipping, neither company has been granted Power of Attorney for the UC system. Packages valued over $2,500 (and some heavier or bulkier items) must go through our UC-contracted customs broker, American CargoService, at uc@acssan.com.

UCSB Distribution and Logistics is available to assist departments with shipping questions; please reach out to Danny Mann at dmann@ucsb.edu or extension 2093.

Printing/Photocopy Services

FedEx Office Print Services (located on Calle Real) and the UC have entered into Pricing Agreement number 088-OP-237. The competitive pricing is available to all UC employees at all campuses, medical centers, and labs. Pricing for black and white copies is $0.025, color is $0.29, and all other services are discounted 30%. They offer free pickup and delivery. FedEx Office now offers a suite of commercial printing services including digital offset, large format including signs and banners, and robust direct mail services. For expert consultation, please call Kevin Kaiser at 860-248-0454, or contact Josette Uline at the Calle Real location at 805-964-3522.

We have SBPrinter here on campus over in the UCEN. SBPrinter accepts Purchase Orders through Gateway and the FlexCard. They can be reached at ordernow@sbprinter.com, by calling 805-699-6342, or by walking into the main lobby of the UCEN, Room 2264.

Buying at Costco

As of 5/2024, Costco is no longer accepting new accounts for UCSB departments. However, you can use the FlexCard for your membership fee and non-food or beverage purchases (food 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.

For those departments "grandfathered" in with existing accounts, they are still accepting Walk-In Purchase Orders as follows:

  • Costco has agreed to honor the 2014 UCSB Master Contract with Costco (Document) for any department that currently has an account.
  • UCSB limits the membership to the Business card priced at $65. Executive Memberships are not allowed.
  • Memberships are restricted to up to 6 cards per account ($65 per group of 2 cards).
  • Only Walk-In POs in Gateway can be used, or the FlexCard. If using a PO, print out your Walk-In PO before going to Costco.
  • Take your printed out Walk-In PO to the membership counter, and walk away with your products. Costco will provide you with an invoice.
  • To pay invoices, please write your Gateway Walk-In PO number on the invoice, and send the product invoices to invoicesONLY@bfs.ucsb.edu.
  • Membership invoices ($65) can be paid on the FlexCard or processed on a Payment Request for Memberships (Document) directly to Accounts Payable.

Alarm and Security/Surveillance Camera Systems

Security systems, including door alarms and surveillance cameras, are restricted and cannot be procured solely on the FlexCard.

Security or Surveillance Cameras

Cameras installed on UC property create significant risk exposure to the campus and require multiple campus approvals before an order can be released. Below are some examples of the process we go through after receiving a requisition in Gateway:

  1. Notify Human Resources: Cameras recording any UC employee require at least a 45-day notice period to employee unions before the cameras can be activated. (Note: The purchase and installation can be completed before the notice term is over, but your department may risk losing these costs on the off chance the union protests the installation.)
  2. Work with Design and Construction: Some camera installations are categorized as construction rather than maintenance. We may need to bifurcate the purchase and remove the installation portion from the requisition.
  3. Communicate with Enterprise Technology Solutions (ETS), who currently offer a central video security service that may be suitable for your needs. A potential advantage in the ETS offering is that it will evolve to keep in compliance with campus requirements.

When we receive a requisition for cameras in Purchasing, we will ask the end users a series of questions, including the number of cameras, the subject matter of the cameras, which party is responsible for hosting the video feed, who will be monitoring and have access to the video feed, and whether the cameras are a direct replacement, a new system, or a new subject matter.

A formal policy for Surveillance Camera Systems will be announced sometime next year, which will articulate the procedures for requesting approval for the installation and procurement of security cameras on UC property. In the meantime, any questions prior to submitting a Gateway requisition for security or surveillance cameras should be sent to contracts@bfs.ucsb.edu.

Security and Door Alarm Services

For door alarm services, we have a master contract with Bay Alarm Services for departmental use. Note: All other security (door) alarm vendors are not allowed. The police, communication services, and facilities maintenance departments all operate on one system that is integrated with Bay Alarm. Please review the instructions on how to set up a Vendor Blanket in Gateway (Document). You can also view the campus notification dated 4/8/2013 with helpful information regarding the Safecom and Bay switch for existing clients (Document).

To set up new service, please contact Rick Prinz at Bay Alarm: 805-662-2714 or rick.prinz@bayalarm.com.

For billing questions, please use our local branch ONLY: Jayana Berry at 805-662-2723 or jayana.berry@bayalarm.com. (For a secondary contact, please ONLY use: Wanda.Washington@bayalarm.com, 800-411-8111, extension 4347).

For service on an existing system, contact 800-470-1000.

Bay Alarm will need your department to complete an Emergency Notification list (Document). Note: The information provided on this list is confidential and should only be emailed to Rick directly at rick.prinz@bayalarm.com.

Contracting Out for Covered Services

The UC Regents implemented a policy in late 2019, titled Contracting Out for Covered Services, that supports and augments the UC's contract with AFSCME. This policy is essentially synonymous with the term "Article 5."

The intent is to insource, to the maximum extent possible, the following services:

  • Cleaning, custodial, janitorial, or housekeeping services.
  • Food services.
  • Laundry services.
  • Groundskeeping.
  • Building maintenance (excluding skilled crafts).
  • Transportation and parking services.
  • Security services.
  • Billing and coding services.
  • Sterile processing.
  • Hospital or nursing assistant services.
  • Medical imaging or other medical technician services.

If your department purchases services for these categories, please submit a ticket through the Labor Relations ServiceNow portal.

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