As a public entity, our UCSF procurement processes are subject to federal and state laws, along with University of California (UC) systemwide policies. These laws and policies ensure that procurement activities are conducted fairly, transparently and in the best interest of the public. While these requirements are important, they also mean that our procurement contracting process takes longer than it would in a private organization.

Before you get started on a contract, you should know that, in most cases, UCSF does not need a dual-signed contract from your suppliers. We are permitted to do business using our purchase order (PO), which is a contract that binds UCSF to pay the supplier for goods and services. (Note: if you are buying services, you will want to include a statement of work (SOW), but in most situations no additional contracts or legal language is required.)    

When your supplier does require a contract from UCSF, please allow at least 30 days for the negotiation of that contract. During contract negotiation, our team of professional buyers work with the supplier to craft a custom agreement starting with UC’s standard contract template (as is required by policy).

The supplier then has an opportunity to redline that document and return it back to UCSF.  These changes must be reviewed, and many changes are required to be escalated to different UC departments including IT Security, Human Resources, Risk Management, Privacy, and others on campus to make sure your department does not violate UC policy or state and federal laws. 

We understand that this extended timeline can be frustrating, especially when you need a product or service quickly. If you find yourself in this situation, here are three tips to getting your procurement issued quickly and with full compliance:

1. Use a supplier who already has agreed to UC’s terms and conditions and does not require additional contracting. UC has more than 400 agreements covering lab supplies, professional services, facilities, travel, and a wide variety of other goods and services. Your department buyer can help you find a contracted supplier. Note, many of these suppliers also have been competitively bid, which simplifies justifications (e.g. Sole Source Justifications) at the time of ordering. 
    
2. Let your supplier know that you have tight deadlines and cannot afford a lengthy negotiation process and would prefer that they accept our PO, which legally binds UCSF to pay them.
   
   If they push back on using a PO, let them know that they will need to work quickly with Supply Chain Management (SCM) Procurement or you may not be able to use their services.
3. Submit your request as early as possible, giving Procurement time to review the contract and work with the supplier is your best bet for completing your transaction. For example, fiscal year 2024 is coming up and we would be happy to help you work on your FY24 renewals and procurements right now.

If you have questions or concerns about UCSF’s Procurement contracts process, please submit a ticket to the SCM Response Team. We are here to help and are committed to meeting your needs while also ensuring that we follow University regulations.