Getting Started with Upwork in BearBUY

Important Things to Know Before Getting Started

  • A BearBUY purchase order is required for each project/contract and must be in place PRIOR to beginning any services with an independent contractor(s) on the Upwork platform. 
  • Payment to Upwork must be paid directly by the University.
  • ATTENTION:
    • Personal credit cards are not an appropriate form of payment. Reimbursements using personal funds paid to Upwork for university business purposes are not allowable.
    • Background checks are required for Upwork hires who need system access and/or are coming on to campus. Simply let our dedicated Upwork team know if this is the case for your Upwork hires.
    • Upwork is a contracted supplier and has evidence of adequate insurance on file with the university.  There is no need to request/upload a Certificate of Insurance to your Upwork order! You can submit your order without one.
  • Please review the Frequently Asked Questions page.

5 Step Guide to Using Upwork

1. Sign Up

  • Activate your Upwork account in minutes using your UC Berkeley email address (@berkeley.edu email ONLY -- please do NOT use an affiliate email) through the Berkeley Upwork portal

    • ATTENTION: When creating your Upwork account, you must select the region* that you belong to. If you do not belong to a region, you can select "UC Berkeley - Subscription" or "None of the above" to proceed with creating your account.

*If you do not know what region you belong to, please log into the Regional Search portal to find your region

2. Start Your Search

  • Post your project -or-
  • Recommended! Email our dedicated Upwork Program Team at ucberkeley-programteam@upwork.com to support your project from sourcing talent to final deliverable

3. Find Talent and Calculate Your Costs

  • Evaluate proposals from interested freelancers or invite freelancers to submit proposals
  • Review proposed costs, timelines, and communicate with Upwork Messages
  • Interview your top choices
  • How your Upwork service fee will be determined depends on:
    • How the talent is sourced (Upwork Marketplace or Bring Your Own), and
    • The outcome of Upwork's required classification review (IC or EOR)
      • Classification Review: UC Berkeley engages Upwork Classification to ensre appropriate worker classification based on applicable federal, state, and international labor regulations. Upwork's compliance team will classify each engagement as either:
        • Independent Contractor (IC)
        • Employer of Record (EOR) which handles payroll, taxes, and required employer contributions needed
      • Breakdown of Service Fees:
        • Upwork Talent (standard Upwork fee applies):
          • IC: 30%
          • EOR: 30%
        • Bring Your Own (BYO) Talent (discounted fees available):
          • IC: 7.5%
          • EOR: 27.5%
        • International EOR: Custom quote required

Additional details are available in the FAQ or for specific guidance before submitting your BearBUY request, please contact the UC Berkeley Upwork Program Team at: ucberkeley-programteam@go-lifted.com

4. Submit a Services & Non-Tangible Items form in BearBUY

  • Select the Services & Non-Tangible Items form and complete it as you normally would for any other order in BearBUY
  • Select UPWORK GLOBAL INC (Supplier Number: 0000805833) as the supplier on your form
  • Be sure to include/attach the following:
    • Business Justification (internal attachment or add comment), including who, what, where, when, why, and the benefit to the University
    • Quote or Estimate (internal attachment) -- please be sure to mirror this on your BearBUY form
      • Acceptable quote/estimate formats may include:
        • Attaching a quote/estimate that was received after directly working with the UCB Upwork team from start to end
        • Attaching a quote/estimate that your department created showing a breakdown of anticipated costs using the rates from the selected individual to be hired
        • Including clearly stated costs in your Statement of Work
      • Please be sure to include the service fee (30% for hires found using the Upwork platform or 7.5% for bringing your own talent into Upwork) on top of your costs
    • Statement of Work (external attachment)
      • HELPFUL HINT: You can use the Statement of Work Template - Simple from our Procurement Forms web page to create yours
      • NOTE: Upwork is a contracted supplier and has evidence of adequate insurance on file with the university.  There is no need to request/upload a Certificate of Insurance to your Upwork order! You can submit your order without one.

5. Start Your Project

  • Departments and Project Managers should:
    • Finalize contract details
    • Assign the PO in the contract terms and extend an offer within Upwork
    • Kickoff your project
    • Work with your Upwork hire and track milestones

Berkeley Upwork Portal

Skilled Freelancers through Upwork in BearBUY

Frequently Asked Questions