Contracts

Contract Review

In accordance with Regents' Business & Finance Bulletin BUS-63, the Office of Risk Services reviews and approves the insurance and indemnification language in all campus contracts. (CLICK HERE to learn more about the campus contracting process.)

Who Can Sign Contracts

Unless you have delegated authority, you MAY NOT sign contracts!

Here is a list of offices delegated to sign the most common types of contracts on behalf of The Regents:

Type of ContractDelegated Authority
Direct-to-Vendor Requisitions (low-value purchases) Departmental Business Officers
All Other Purchase Orders Supply Chain Management
Business Contracts Business Contracts and Brand Protection
Affiliation Agreements with Other Academic Institutions Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost
Construction Contracts Real Estate Capital Strategies Contract Administration
Research Contracts with Government Entities and Private Non-Profits Sponsored Projects
Research Contracts with Private Commercial Entities Industry Alliances
Leases and Facility Use Permits Real Estate Development & Portfolio
Travel and Entertainment Contracts Supply Chain Management

Waiving the Insurance Requirements in Contracts

Only Risk Services has authority to reduce or waive the insurance requirements in contracts.

The University's Business & Finance Bulletin BUS-63 states in Section III.C that "Under the terms and conditions of any contract, purchase order or other agreement, the non-University entity is required to show evidence of adequate insurance coverage by furnishing a Certificate(s) of Insurance indicating compliance with all requirements." The clear intent of this language is to avoid exposure to unrecoverable losses and discourage insurance waivers. Therefore Risk Services gives insurance waiver requests low priority and defaults to denying such requests, regardless of the exigencies a campus unit may be experiencing. 

1. Insurance should be requested for every contract - regardless of whether the work will be done on or off UC property.  
2. If the Supplier doesn't currently have insurance, departments should advise Suppliers that they may be able to purchase coverage through CampusConnexions which can be accessed here: https://ucberk.campusconnexionsuc.com/other-constituents/vendors-and-contractors/vendor-liability.html.
  • The cost is $750 for an annual policy that covers the work the Supplier does at any of the 10 campuses for a 12-month period from the date of purchase. 
  • Departments are not required, but can at their sole discretion, add all or a portion of this cost into the contract, quote, etc with the Supplier so it may independently purchase insurance coverage. 
3. If after you've exhausted both of these options, the department will need to provide Risk Services the following in order for its office to consider the request:
  • A formal Statement of Work detailing the services the Supplier is being hired to perform, the time frame of the service, expected deliverables and department oversight
  • The Supplier will need to complete the Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form and
  • A valid reason for the waiver request
Supply Chain Management does not have the authority to grant waivers of insurance. Waiver requests should be uncommon and are rarely approved but can be e-mailed to risk@berkeley.edu with the attached documentation for a review.  The typical lead time for review of these requests is approximately two weeks and often delays the project or work from being started for UC Berkeley.