Contract Services

When does the University require a department to process a contract through Agiloft?

The University requires departments to enter contracts into Agiloft in the following circumstances:

• Regardless of dollar value (even if the transaction is a zero-dollar transaction, including non-binding letters of intent):
  • The other party requires the University to sign the document.
  • The other party requires advanced payment.
  • The transaction is $10,000 or more and the other party will not accept a purchase order.
  • The other party is an international vendor.
     

Contract Services Training Videos

To access these resources below, please log into your Microsoft office.com account with your UTCID​@​utc.edu. Additional resources may be found at Procurement Services Training.

Contract Services Information (Agiloft)

(To access these resources below, please log into your Microsoft office.com account with your UTCID​@​utc.edu.)

Department's Responsibilities

Before contracting with an outside party, departments should first ensure that the goods or services cannot be provided by internal sources (existing purchasing agreements or services provided by another university unit).

Contract Checklist

Before entering your contract please review contracts fiscal policy and related procedures

• Contracts Fiscal Policy FI0420 
• Department's Responsibilities Procedure 
• Dual Services Agreements 
• Sponsored Programs Procedure 
• State of Tennessee Review Procedure

Before Entering Your Contract

• Vendor Number
  If there is not a vendor number set up in the system and your contract is payable, please initiate a PaymentWorks invitation to your vendor. PaymentWorks directions
  If there's not a vendor number in the system and your contract is zero-dollar or receivable, please complete the company number requests form. Company Number Request Form
• Amendment or New Contract
  Determine if the contract will be a new contract or an amendment. If your contract is an amendment, use the current date as the amendment start date and not the original contract's start date. Each amendment should have its own start date.
• Contract Template
  If the vendor does not provide a contract document, you can use one of UT's standard contract templates. Always download the template from this website when you need to use it so you are using the most current version. Templates
• Business Terms
  Review the business terms for accuracy. Business terms include dates, dollars, and deliverables.
• Contract Format
  The contract must be in an editable format (Word). Please ask the vendor for an editable version if they didn't initially send you one.
• Sole Source
  If your contract is a sole source, please fill out and sign the NCJ form. Always download the most recent version of the NCJ form from this website. Non-Competitive Justification (NCJ Form)
• Vendor Signature
  Do not have the vendor to sign the draft contract. The contract will need to route to a contract office for review. The contract office will send the contract for signature.
• Advance Payment
  If the vendor requires advance payment, which is generally prohibited by policy, please get CBO approval and attach the approval email to the contract as a supporting document.
• Quote or Proposal
  If you've received a quote or proposal from the vendor, please make sure it is valid and not expired.
• Software or IT Services-Related Purchase
  If your purchase is software or IT related services, complete the IT TDX Ticket. When you get a response back from IT, attach that to the contract entry as a supporting document. Software Approval
• Receivable/Revenue-Generating Contract
  If your contract is receivable, please fill out the Revenue Questionnaire. Once you receive the response to the questionnaire, you will attach it to the contract as a supporting document. Revenue

Entering Your Contract Into the Contract Management System

• Contract
  Entering Your Contract Into the Contract Management System
• Contract Title
  Use a descriptive title for your contract. Do not use "Quote # 1234," "contract," "amendment," etc. An example of an adequate contract title is: "Hotel Agreement for College of Nursing Staff Retreat."
• Notification Names
  If someone other than the contract requester needs to be notified when the contract becomes active or expires, please enter that person's name in the notification name field. The contract requester will automatically receive notifications without adding their own name to this field.
• Purchase Order
  If the vendor will require a PO in addition to the contract, please enter "yes" in the field asking if a PO is required.
• Vendor Contact Information
  Enter the correct vendor contact name and email in the vendor contact field. In order to correspond with the vendor, the contract specialist working on this contract needs to have a valid contact to reach out to.
• Departmental Contact
  The contract must be in an editable format (Word). Please ask the vendor for an editable version if they didn't initially send you one.
• Sole Source (NCJ)
  If your contract is considered a sole source, please complete the NCJ form, sign it, and attach it to your contract entry. Insufficient information may delay the review of your NCJ.  Non-Competitive Justification (NCJ Form)
• Supporting Documents
  Attach all supporting documents to your contract entry. These may include quotes, proposals, NCJ forms, IT Questionnaires, Revenue Questionnaires, approval emails.

Business Terms

Departments must review a contract's business terms (dates, deliverables, cost, etc.) and operational requirements.

Documents

The contract document must be in an editable format (Word). Attach all supporting documents including referenced schedules, addenda, and exhibits.

Negotiation

Do not attempt to negotiate legal terms with the vendor. Do not attempt to edit legal terms and conditions of the contract. The contract office will handle that.

Contracting with an Individual

When contracting with an individual, determine if they qualify as an independent contractor or if they qualify as an employee.  See the guidelines related to FI0540

UT or State Employee

Department must ensure the individual is not currently a UT or State of Tennessee employee and has not been an employee in the last 6 months.

Additional Approvals

If your contract is revenue-generating or is software-related, please make sure you have sought all appropriate approvals in advance of submitting your contract.

The University of Tennessee’s bylaws (Article VII section 7.6) and Contracts Fiscal Policy (FI0420) specify which University employees are allowed to sign contracts on behalf of the University.  Only those individuals on the list linked below have authority to sign on behalf of the University.  If someone’s name is not on this list, they are not authorized to sign on behalf of the University.  This applies for all contracts, regardless of dollar value.  The University is not bound by unauthorized signatures. University employees who sign contracts without authority might face civil liability and be held personally liable for the contract

Per FI0420:An official otherwise authorized to sign a contract on behalf of the University may not do so for contracts involving entities in which that individual is also an officer or a member of the board of directors.