Contracts for Professional Services

Whenever departments require services that cannot be provided by an employee, a Contract for Professional Services can be executed with an individual or a company. The necessary form and Terms & Conditions are available online. The completed contract, approved by the Budget Unit Head and signed by the Contractor, should be submitted electronically to Procurement Services. All contracts are reviewed by the Office of Counsel and signed (on the 2nd page of the contract) by the appropriate Vice President. Please make sure that the Contractor/Vendor has not signed any agreement that will have to be approved by Office of Counsel going forward. Please refer to Business Services Policies and Procedures Manual, Section VII for additional information. 


Before you submit your Contract for Professional Services, please read the IRS information in relation to Understanding Employee vs. Contractor Designation.  (Click here)
 
An Independent Contractor (IC) Request form is required when payment is made to an individual or sole proprietor regardless of the amount paid.  The department requesting the service of the individual completes and signs the form.
 
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*The minimum dollar amount required for a Contract for Professional Services is $500.00.  If a vendor is to be paid less than $500.00, a letter addressed to the vendor (on UAH letterhead) needs to include the following information: 

**(Academic Departments Only)**  Click here for the Sample Letter of Invitation to use as a guide. 

  • The service(s) to be performed;
  • Date of service; and
  • Payment amount.

The letter needs to be signed by the vendor, Budget Unit Head, and appropriate UAH VP that is over the area requesting the service.

Any review of the letter (i.e., wording) is handled by the UAH Legal office.

A vendor disclosure statement is not required, however, a W-9 form (completed and signed by the vendor) should accompany the letter.  An independent contractor form is required to accompany the letter of invitation. (No Exclusions

**(Academic Departments Only)**  Click here for the Letter of Invitation Template.


All Contracts for Professional Services require that a Vendor Disclosure Statement be completed and signed by the vendor. 

A completed W9 form is also required with the Contract for Professional Services form if the vendor is new or has moved. Beginning June 2021, the UAH Office of Counsel also requires a Contract Intake form (completed and signed by the department) to accompany the contract.

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High Value Contracts

Effective June 2019, all consulting and/or professional services contracts involving an expenditure of $250,000 or more, regardless of whether the contract results from a competitive process, will require Board of Trustees approval.  The usual process for submitting contracts for professional services should be followed.  However, in order for contracts to be eligible for consideration for inclusion on the Board of Trustees agenda, additional documentation is now required.

New documentation requirements:

  • Contract Summary Term Sheet
  • Resolution-see a sample resolution here
    • Note: there is not a template for resolutions; each one will be unique to the contract it represents.  The resolution "tells the story" of the facts and the action requested for approval.  

Please submit the above documents along with the Contract, Vendor Disclosure, Independent Contractor Form, and W9 to Business Services. 

Please visit the News tab for more details regarding the changes, exceptions to the requirement, and submission deadlines. 

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Routing and Approval

NOTE: Subcontracts to contractors as defined by uniform guidance may include terms & conditions, and should be noted by the OSP Administrator. Detailed information is located on the following OSP link: https://www.uah.edu/osp/uah-uniform-guidance-team


All contracts are submitted to Procurement Services for approval two to three weeks prior to the beginning of the contracted assignment. If a contract is issued after the formal first day of the period of performance as stated in the contract, an After-the-Fact Justification memorandum should be attached. The process of completing a contract takes approximately two to three weeks after the contract is received in Procurement. Verify the proper procedure with the Office of Research Security and Immigration Administration for contracts with foreign nationals before submitting to Procurement.

  1. The contract, properly prepared and signed, the original with one copy attached, is sent to Procurement Services, electronically.
  2. Procurement reviews and sends it to the Office of Counsel, electronically.
  3. Office of Counsel reviews the contract and will notify the department if there is a discrepancy (i.e. improper wording).
  4. The contract is forwarded to the appropriate Vice President for signature.
  5. After the appropriate Vice President signs the contract, the contract is then sent to the Associate Vice President of Business Services, to initial the document beside the Office of Counsel approval.
  6. The contract is returned to Procurement. A copy of the completed contract, with the contract number assigned, is returned to the originating department. The original contract with the original approval of the Office of Counsel is kept on file in Procurement Services.

If a contract must be changed in any way after it is completed, an Amendment is necessary. The Amendment (signed by Budget Unit Head and contractor), with a copy of the original contract attached, is sent to Procurement. It then follows the same processing and approval procedures, as did the contract.

Payment Against Contracts

An Issue Check Requisition must be entered in the Banner system by the originating department. Requisitions for payment must contain the following information:

  1. Contract Number
  2. Payment Number (if more than one)
  3. Description of Services Provided
  4. Period of Performance
  5. Social Security or Tax Identification Number

A copy of the contract, vendor disclosure statement, and invoice, when applicable, is sent via email to Procurement (purch@uah.edu) along with the Requisition number.

- Payment for active UAH employees (faculty, staff, researcher, or student) performing duties outside of their regular position is generated by a PAF (Personnel Action Form).  The PAF is also required for UAH retirees. Contact Human Resources for further information.

Completing The Contract Form

  1. "Approved By" – Obtain the signature of the Budget Unit Head or another person with authority for the budget, with a name typed or printed below the signature.
    "Budget Unit Name" – Enter the department initiating the Contract.
    "Date" – Enter the date the Budget Unit Head signed the Contract.
    "Return Contract To" – Enter the name and campus mailing address of the individual who should receive a copy of the completed Contract.
    "General Terms Provided to Contractor" – Check this line to indicate that the Contractor has received a copy of the General Terms and Conditions (GTC) with the Contract. The contractor keeps the GTC after signing and returning the Contract.
    "Employee" – Check if the Contractor is, or is not, an employee of UAH.
  2. "Contractor" – Enter the complete name of the individual or company and the mailing address of the individual or company entering into the Contract.
  3. "Scope of Work" – Describe the duties and services the Contractor is required to perform.
  4. "Compensation" – Enter the Organization number to which payment is to be charged; check the applicable provisions (a, b, c, d, e, or f).
  5. "Term" – Enter the period in which services will be performed (Example: "September 16-17, Year)
  6. "Additional Provisions" – Describe any provisions that are different from the GTC.
  7. "Receipt of Pension question needs to be answered by the contractor with the individual's handwritten initials, not with a check mark or "X".
  8. "Board of Trustees" – Leave blank for signature.
    "Name" – Type or print the Vice President's name. 
    "Title"
    – Enter the Vice President's title.
    "Date" – The Vice President enters the date he or she signs the Contract.
  9.  "Contractor""By" - Obtain the signature of the individual entering into the Contract with UAH.
    "Name" – Type or print the name of the individual signing the Contract 
    "Title"
    – Enter the title of the individual signing the Contract, if the Contractor is a company 
    "Address"
    – Enter the Contractor's address 
    "Soc. Sec. No./Tax Identification Number"
    – Enter the Social Security number or the Passport number if the Contractor is an individual; enter the Tax ID number if the Contractor is a company.
    "Date" – Enter the date Contractor signed the Contract.