Page Comparison

Generally, purchases in the range of $0-$15,000 may be authorized via Purchase Order; however, there are times when vendors request signature on their contract or they require specific terms to provide a good/service. Submit a Contract Request with the following information:

• description of goods/service(s) needed

• vendor contract needing signature, reviewed for accuracy

• vendor information and EID

• total cost and payment breakdown (e.g. $cost/unit x #months)

• date span or receive date

• departmental account number

When procuring a good or service from an individual, you must always complete an Employee/Independent Contractor Classification Checklist (EICCC) to determine the most appropriate way to proceed with authorization. This form must be included with your Invoice Payment Submission Form when paying Independent Contractors.

1. Purchase From Employee (or Relative of Employee) – NEW form to be used in those limited instances where due to the unique nature of the good or service it is deemed in the best interests of the University to make the purchase from the employee.  Any such purchases shall be made only if the cost is less than from any other known source.

2. Purchase of Used Equipment – NEW form to be used in those limited instances when the procurement of previously used equipment is found to be necessary or advantageous to the University. Equipment that is used may include refurbished, demonstration or “demo” units, or used equipment supplied with the same warranty as new equipment.   

3. Professional Services Form – NEW form to be used in those limited instances where due to the unique nature of the service competition may not be possible. This form is not intended to be used for consulting services unless the consulting services are going to be performed by a licensed professional listed in Texas Government Code Section 2254.  

4. Emergency Form – NEW form to be used when an emergency results from unforeseen circumstances that may suddenly and unexpectedly cause the University to require a good or service not under contract.  Emergency purchase may be justified when an immediate response is necessary to prevent further risk, danger, or damage to the operation of the University, related property, or life.

A contract is required when we secure a block of hotel rooms.  A contract or simple banquet order is required when we secure room rental/AV services/catering with a venue for an event.  Allow 4 weeks in advance of the program to provide sufficient time for full execution of contracts. 

Standard Hotel Agreement

The Standard Hotel Agreement found here is the preferred template for contracting with a hotel.

The Standard Hotel Agreement contains clauses that:

• are standard clauses found in most Hotel Agreements;

• protect the university from unmanageable risk or unforeseen liability; and

• comply with the Board of Regents’ Rules and Regulation and State of Texas law.

Only an individual with a written delegation of authority from the President of the University may execute and deliver contracts on behalf of the university. Therefore, a university contract without an authorized signature may be invalid and unenforceable and may create individual liability for the unauthorized signer.

Standard hotel agreements can be created when needed.

Simple Catering/Banquet/Hotel Agreements

Simple room, banquet, or catering agreements can be used as long as they are for amounts under $15,000 and certain items are not included, or are marked out and initialed by both parties.

Non-standard Hotel Contracts

The hotel’s contract will be forwarded to Contracts and Grants for signature. Please note that this process can take up to 4 weeks.

They will need to sign via DocuSign. If vendor has DocuSign issues, please submit a General Help Request immediately. A fully signed contract must be in place before vendor can be paid.

To request a Purchase Order or Contract that includes a deposit or prepayment, please note:

• Completed Prepayment Form (unsigned) must be attached to your Purchase Order Request or Contract Request

• Any goods or services requiring a prepayment or deposit must include the Refund of Deposit Clause on either the Purchase Order, Contract, or vendor invoice:

  • Refund of Deposit/Prepayment.In the event this Agreement is canceled by <vendor name> for reasons not attributable to The University of Texas at Austin (university) or if canceled by the university for default of performance by <vendor name> or Force Majeure, then within 30 days after termination, <vendor name> will reimburse the university for all advance payments paid by the university to <vendor name> that were (a) not earned by <vendor name> prior to termination, or (b) for goods or services that the university did not receive from <vendor name> prior to termination.

✏️ This is the 'Prepayment or Deposits' tab. Start typing to add content, or click 'Publish'/'Update' to view the final result.

All purchases made by funds of the University of Texas at Austin are governed by general purchasing terms and conditions available here: https://utexas.app.box.com/v/order-terms-1

The university prefers not to agree to:

• Non-refundable deposit

The university will not agree to any of the following:

Please refer to Search for Vendor in UT Payment System to make sure you have made all necessary vendor-related provisions well in advance of a program.

All exception requests will require completion of the Non-Compliant Purchase Form as of 08/01/2024. If any attribute of your procurement method violates university policy, you will need to complete the Non-compliant Purchase Form to include with your request.

Repeated failure to ensure university policies are adhered to will cause purchasing requests to be denied and abilities to be revoked.