Doing Business with UC Berkeley

The links below provide additional information to help assist our current and potential suppliers in working with our campus.

Working with UC Berkeley departments

UC Berkeley is a decentralized campus.  Suppliers interested in conducting business should engage with individual departments with which they are interested in doing business except Staffing Firms need to work with Central HR for job placements.  The UC does not guarantee business or connect suppliers with individuals.

When a department wants to procure goods or services from your business, your company needs to be on record in our financial system. If your business company has not previously sold goods and services to UC Berkeley, you will need to provide information about your firm, so that a new supplier record can be created. The firm can also update its existing record in the UC Berkeley financial system -For more information see Vendoring.

UC Insurance Requirements

Prior to providing services to the University, Suppliers must furnish the University with current certificates of insurance (and the relevant endorsement pages) that show the following minimum coverages and meet the following requirements as stated in the UC Terms & Conditions.  The Supplier Insurance Guide provides guidance on the insurance amounts and requirements for the additional insured.  

Increased insurance requirements may be needed based on the Statement of Work and associated risks to the University- Risk Services.

Insurance Program for Suppliers who don not already have coverage:

Insurance can be obtained through Mercer for a one-time event (music performances) or issued as a one-year blanket policy.

Conflict of Interest

It is the policy of the University to keep an employee’s private interests separate from University interests, and to safeguard the University and its employees from charges of favoritism.  An employee is prohibited from participating in a decision if there is a financial conflict of interest.

Conflict of Interest Declaration Form

Conflict of Interest Policy

Bidding Opportunities

UC Berkeley strives to provide fair, open, and efficient opportunities for all suppliers interested in doing business with the campus.

The UC Public Bid site - CalUSource is a self-service portal to register, update supplier information, and participate in all UC campus bid opportunities.

For additional details on how to navigate the CalUSource site and manage your events, please review the Supplier Quick Reference Guide.

If you have questions about how to use the site and manage your events, please contact UC Procurement Services Support at support@ucprocure.zendesk.com.

Supplier's Proposal, Quotes, and UC Terms and Conditions

To assist UC Berkeley in preparing agreements for goods and/or services, Suppliers must provide a proposal/quote that thoroughly sets forth the scope of the services to be provided.  It should be a written proposal, dated, on supplier letterhead, that identifies the pricing, deliverables, and timeframe for the goods or services as defined in the SOW.  It should identify any exceptions or UC Berkeley dependencies that are needed for the Supplier to perform the services.  It should tie fees charged to scheduled deliverables and timeframes.  Hourly rates should be used only as a means of determining a fee.  It should include the Supplier and UC contact information.

In doing business with UC Berkeley, written acceptance or shipment of all or any portion of goods, or the performance of all or any portion of the Services covered by a UC Purchase Order, will constitute Supplier’s unqualified acceptance of UC's terms and conditions.  No other terms or conditions will be binding upon the parties unless accepted by them in writing.

Invoicing and Sales Tax

Invoicing - Once an approved Purchase Order is in place, services may begin and invoiced when deliverables are complete.  The UC Berkeley Purchase Order Number must appear on the invoice.  UC standard payment terms are Net 30.  Incomplete invoices result in payment delays. 

Sales Tax - UC Berkeley is not exempt from state sales or use tax except for property purchased using federal funds where title to that property (or ultimately, the fabrication of property) vests with the Federal Government.  

Resale - The UC holds a valid Seller’s permit issued pursuant to the Sales and Use Tax Law of the State of California.

Payment and invoicing instructionsController's Office Helpful Hints for our Vendors