In most cases, the process of purchasing goods and services on behalf of Drexel departments entails entering into a legal contract, and for this reason, care must be taken to not expose the University to unforeseen risks. Drexel has a set of standard purchasing contract terms and conditions that suffice to guide contracting processes much of the time, but sometimes alternative contracting language is established as a result of negotiation between suppliers and Drexel. Department-level requesters may not sign contracts on Drexel’s behalf. Drexel requesters must work with the Strategic Sourcing team to finalize any purchasing agreement (this requirement does not include routine catalog purchases in SAP Ariba).

The Strategic Sourcing team reviews every purchase request exceeding $10,000 or which falls into certain criteria such as blanket purchase requests, the engagement of any kind of professional service, product purchases with service components, and off-site events. The Strategic Sourcing team reviews these requests in line with the Purchasing Policy and Contract Protocol Policy (view on the Policy Directory) and identifies which contract template should be used in the purchase transaction.

When You Are Ready to Purchase

When you are arranging a purchase that aligns with the special contracting circumstances noted above, there is a sequence of review and contracting steps to follow. Once you have identified a supplier who can fulfill your purchasing needs, contact sourcing@drexel.edu with the supplier’s proposal, price quote, and/or scope of work to confirm the correct template to use. Strategic Sourcing will review and determine whether the request can be placed under Drexel University’s Standard Purchase Order Terms and Conditions. If a contract is needed, Strategic Sourcing will provide the correct template to use.

Examples of Drexel Contract Templates:

• Business Associate Agreement (BAA)
• Consulting Services Agreement (CSA)
• Independent Contractor Agreement (ICA) 
  • Please note that the Independent Contractor Agreement template and the Independent Contractor Classification are two separate items.
• Limited Engagement Services Agreement (LESA) 
• Peer Review Advisory Services Agreement (PRASA)

Contract Review Process

The steps outlined below are presented visually in the Contract Review Process Decision Tree [PDF].

1. Requester emails contract purchase inquiry to sourcing@drexel.edu with accompanying documentation.
2. Sourcing reviews inquiry and determines if the purchase can be placed under Drexel's standard PO terms and conditions.
   • IF YES: Requester submits purchase request as a non-catalog requisition for Drexel’s final signature and PO processing in SAP Ariba.
   • IF NO: Sourcing determines if the supplier requires Drexel to use their contract template to make the purchase. 
     • Requester completes draft template and sends to supplier for review, potential negotiation and signature.
       • If the supplier makes changes: Requester submits the edited contract and supporting documentation in SAP Ariba as a Contract Request for further review.
       • If no changes: Requester submits the supplier-signed contract and supporting documentation as a non-catalog requisition for Drexel’s final signature and PO processing in SAP Ariba.

Learn more about when and how to submit a contract request through the SAP Ariba Contract Module.