Skilled Freelancers through Upwork

Supply Chain Management is excited to announce the launch of the Upwork Enterprise and UC Berkeley partnership which is now available for all employees and faculty to use when finding talent for temporary services!

Upwork Global Inc. is an online-based service that connects freelancers and clients. Its talent base of individuals and agencies can provide more than 10,000 skills, such as finance and accounting, customer support, website development, and consulting. UC Berkeley is partnering with Upwork to access specialized skills and increase productivity.

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.
  • 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.

Getting Started

Setting up and maintaining the services of skilled freelance talent through Upwork is simple and straightforward. Press on the accompanying image to the right to open a guide that walks you through the process. 

In addition, UC Berkeley has a portal through the Upwork platform that provides detailed information about the program and Upwork's services.

5 Step Guide to Using Upwork
Press on the logo above to get started!

Upwork Features

  • The service helps find, hire, and manage contracts with independent talent for projects in adherence to worker classification regulations.
  • Access to skilled talent who chose to work independently.
  • Scale up or down quickly to meet the needs of a team or project.
  • For larger, more complex projects, Upwork helps build an effective team of independent talent and provides end-to-end management support. For these complex projects, contact the university's dedicated Upwork team at ucberkeley-programteam@upwork.com.

How it Works

  • Find talent: Tell Upwork what you need. Upwork connects you with professional skills in the U.S.
  • Hire talent: Get qualified proposals within 24 hours. Compare and negotiate bids, reviews and prior work with transparency. Find, interview and hire the right individual, team or agency.
  • Work: Use Upwork to chat, conduct video calls, share files and track project milestones from a computer or mobile device.
  • Pay: Individuals can be paid hourly or with a fixed price. They receive invoices through Upwork. Clients pay only for authorized work.

Contact

Want to learn more about the university’s partnership with Upwork, or are you ready to seek freelance talent? 

You can direct questions to Deepak Shadrach, Upwork Senior Enterprise Accounts Manager at deepakshadrach@upwork.com or to ucberkeley-programteam@upwork.com. You can also reach out to Riza Casal, Strategic Contracts Administrator at riza@berkeley.edu.

Contact our dedicated Upwork team for assistance throughout the entire process!





Our dedicated Upwork team will provide assistance throughout the entire process (crafting your job posting, vetting candidates, contract negotiation, and final deliverable)!

Upwork Presentation Slides

We recently presented on Upwork during AP's Info Session on 04/15/2024. Please email disburse@berkeley.edu for the recording.