Independent Consultants

Independent Consultant Defined:  An individual or entity that provides organizational analysis and advice related to UC administration or management, and the UC does not control either the results of the service or the manner of performance.

Consult with your Buyer for any consulting projects over  $99,999.99 as the project may require competition by law.

Examples of Independent Consultant services:

  • Business Consulting: Business consultants provide advice and support to the university perhaps in regard to our operations, cross-functional training,  organizational structure, strategy development, financial planning, and operations management.
  • Education Consulting: Education consultants may provide advice and support to Schools, Colleges, and Departments in areas such as curriculum development, student services, and enrollment management.
  • Environmental Consulting: Environmental consultants may work with the university to help us comply with environmental regulations or develop sustainable practices.

  • Financial Consulting: Financial consultants provide advice and support to the university in areas such as accounting, forecasting, taxes, and financial management.

  • Legal Consulting: Legal consultants may provide specialized advice and support to businesses on legal matters such as contracts, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance.

How to hire an Independent Consultant:

  1. Once the Supplier has been set up in BearBUY, use the Services and Non-Tangible Items form.
  2. The department should attach the following required PO documents to the form as directed in BearBUY:
    1. Required Documents from the DEPARTMENT:
      1. Proof of Reasonableness & Source Justification
      2. Classification Worksheet for Federal Tax Purposes
      3. Statement of Work
    2. Required Documents from the SUPPLIER:
      1. Insurance
      2. Conflict of Interest
      3. Supplier's Proposal
  3. Other Considerations:
    1. Follow-On Concerns: Consultants may not implement work they identify in the course of the advising of the UC unless the implementation services are identified within the initial agreement as additional phases. It is at the discretion of the UC to engage additional phases of work. Implementation of recommendations not included in the initial scope are prohibited as Follow-On Work.
    2. Services Performed on UC Property: Determine the amount of services that will be performed by the Supplier on campus.
    3. Requires a signed agreement, including online acceptance of terms of use.
    4. Will the supplier have access to UC protected information (including cloud services and software licenses) such as health, personal, or credit card payment data.
    5. Use of UC name and marks by supplier.
    6. Goods or services provided by any employee or near relatives of any University employee.
    7. Or any other Special Considerations that may apply.
  4. The Buyer will use the above documentation to create an Independent Consultant Agreement using the UC Agreement template, which will be signed by the Buyer and the Independent Consultant.


For more information, see Finance Bulletin: BFB-BUS-43 Purchases of Goods and Services; Supply Chain Management.


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