Accounting: Contract Purchases
Any document provided by an external vendor or third party that requires a signature, whether in the form of a letter agreement, contract, terms and conditions, quote, proposal, or other binding document, must be reviewed and executed by an individual with delegated signature authority for UW–Madison.
Faculty, staff, and other employees should not sign such documents on behalf of the University or otherwise commit University funds, resources, or services. Only authorized University representatives may enter into contractual agreements that obligate UW–Madison.
Signing a contract without proper authority may result in an unauthorized commitment and could expose both the individual and the University to legal and financial risk. Please consult your department or purchasing office before signing or accepting any agreement associated with the use of UW–Madison funds or resources.
Common agreements that may require review include:
- Guest artist and residency agreements
- Performance and venue contracts
- Composer commissions
- Licensing agreements
- Equipment rental agreements
- Speaker and lecturer agreements
- Sponsorship or partnership agreements
- Service contracts and consulting agreements
Early coordination with departmental and administrative staff helps ensure that agreements are properly reviewed, approved, and executed before commitments are made on behalf of the University.
Internal agreements with other UW departments or divisions (e.g., Union, Housing) can be signed by any UW employee.
To begin the contract signing process:
- Submit the unsigned contract via the Purchasing Intake Form
- In the comment section, list that a signature is needed.
- Make sure to include the vendor email contact information.
- If this is a recording contract, additional consideration from the Office of Legal Affairs will be necessary.
- This will add additional time, please plan accordingly.
- Work may NOT start until the contract is signed.
- The finance team will reach out to you via the HALO ticket if additional information is needed.
The UW Purchasing Office will negotiate terms of the contract with your vendor to ensure state compliance. This process could take up to 90 days to complete.