Contracting for Services

Many services are provided by UVic departments, or by designated suppliers previously selected through a procurement process. Take a look at the list below to see if the service you need is already easy to request!

What are you looking to buy?

Academic services

Academic Services include the development or delivery of credit or non-credit courses, seminars, and workshops.

All contracting for Academic Services is handled by the Office of the Vice-President Academic and Provost; see their Contracting for Academic Services page for more information.

Construction and maintenance

Construction Services include, among other things, grounds maintenance, interior modification, cleaning, lock repairs, plumbing, painting, and capital projects.

Facilities Management handles all Construction Services. Please refer to their service catalogue to determine the work request process.

Legal services

Your first choice for legal services should be UVic’s internal General Counsel, who can be reached by 250-853-3549 or gencouns@uvic.ca.

If you wish to obtain external legal counsel, you must request approval from General Counsel unless you are otherwise authorized by the Retention of External Legal Counsel Policy.

Photocopying and printing

Printing services are available internally through Printing Services.

Resale or disposal

See our Asset Disposal page. Purchasing Services handles all resales and disposals in-house.

Items with remaining utility must first be offered to other UVic departments free of charge. If no department currently has a use for them, Purchasing Services will facilitate a sale to an external party and profits will be given to the owning department.

Purchasing Services will also facilitate the recycle or disposal of items in compliance with Occupational Health, Safety, and Environment (OHSE).

Technology Services

For any services related to telecommunications (hardware, software, AV telephones, etc.), contact the UVic Technology Solutions Centre. They may be able to provide your service in-house or direct you to an ideal source.

Approval must be obtained from the Technology Solutions Center prior to purchasing computing or telecommunications services.

Marketing, media, graphic design

Internal communications, media relations, professional photography and videography, web development, and promotional materials are all handled internally by UVic Communications + Marketing.

Review their website to contact the appropriate office. If external consultation is required, they may already have experience with preferred suppliers.

Travel

Travel Services include, among other things, airfare, hotels, ferries, and meals.

Faculty & Staff travel is to be arranged and paid for by UVic ccard or paid personally and reimbursed (UVic ccard is the preferred option).

UVic guest travel can also be paid on UVic ccard or through arrangements with Purchasing Services.

Next, either you or the department assisting you will need to find a vendor. Your options for doing so are set by UVic's Purchasing Policy and depend on the value of the service you're looking to buy.

Most services require a Services Agreement - Non-Academic. It does not matter how small the contract amount is, the deciding factor is the level of risk involved. If you are not sure if the service that you require needs a contract, please e-mail purchase@uvic.ca before you enter into any agreement with your selected vendor.

Plan Ahead! Reach out to your Purchasing Officer before entering into an agreement with a vendor.

Click here to find your Purchasing Officer.

Under $15,000 - you can find and select a single vendor to buy from, or optionally you can work with Purchasing Services to run a competitive procurement process. Note you will need a written quote from your chosen vendor.
Above $15,000 - you will need to collect and submit three quotes from different vendors before deciding between them. Alternatively, you can work with us to run a competitive procurement, or fill out the Direct Award form to document your justification for selecting a single source. Note that this form must be approved by Purchasing Services before you can move ahead.

Do I need some kind of contract?

Once you've selected the vendor you want to work with, you should always draft a Services Agreement. This is a contract between UVic and the vendor, and must be finalized and signed before any work is performed.

Purchasing Services is here to help you make sure that you and the university are protected from risk, and that you get everything you need at the price you agreed to.

Without a services agreement, you and/or UVic could be liable for:

individual health and safety risks
losing control over intellectual property
exposing staff, students and/or faculty to IT and privacy security violations
violating Canadian and international law

UVic has two standard templates for Services Agreements. If the answer to any of the following questions is yes, you'll need to use the Long-Form Services Agreement, Otherwise, risk to the university is low and you can use the Short-form version.

Is the contract risk level high? This could be physical or financial risk, or a privacy issue.
Will there be confidential information disclosed as part of the work?
Is a dispute resolution clause needed?
Will you need to pre-approve any subcontractors?
Are the insurance needs especially complicated? Ex. chartering a helicopter
Do you require ownership of intellectual property rights in the produced material?
Will the contractor be working outside of Canada?

Here are some key elements your Services Agreement must include:

Maximum contract amount

This amount is the maximum amount your department is willing to allot to the contract. It does not mean that your department will commit to spend the full amount. Further information on contract fees can be listed in the fees schedule.

Special conditions

This section is used to add any new special conditions or amendments to existing terms. This could include stricter insurance requirements for dangerous activities, a privacy or data security schedule, or options for renewing the contract in future.

Description of services

This section must include a clear description of services, project scope, roles and responsibilities and activity timelines. This ensures you get what you're paying for, so make sure to be specific!

Fees and expenses

Include details on fees, rates. If the contract will be working hourly or periodically, ensure that the anticipated number or days or hours worked are stipulated here. If the vendor offered you a discount or pricing plan, make sure you incorporate that here, or you may not be able to claim it.

Who can sign my services agreement?

To summarize Signing Authority policy, individuals from departments outside Purchasing Services are not authorized to sign services agreements for procurements greater than $15,000. Purchasing Services must approve and sign these agreements in order to commit UVic to the contract.

If you don't have the appropriate authority and you sign a contract, you may be binding yourself to the agreement without the university's support.

Certain university staff have privileges allowing them to bind the university to contracts below $15,000 - however, we strongly recommend that you speak to us before committing. The service you're buying may have complex risks or legal requirements that the Purchasing office is specifically equipped to handle.

How do I pay the contractor?

In most cases, you will need a Purchasing Services Buyer to create a Purchase Order or an Agreement (AGR) document in Banner. To get one, you'll need to submit a Web Requisition in the FAST application. The Web Requisition should include the following:

Quote(s) and/or Direct Award form
A draft of the Services Agreement
Approval by the Account Holder & a Signing Authority for your department
Approval from Research Accounting if necessary

Frequently Asked Questions

What is considered a ‘Non-Academic’ service?

A service that is outside of academic credit and non-credit courses, seminars, and workshop development and instruction.

Does my contractor need WCB?

The contractor will need to contact WorkSafe BC to verify if they require WCB for the services that they will provide your department. You will need to include written confirmation from the supplier that acknowledges they have contacted WorkSafe BC and do not require WCB for the services in question. Final WCB waivers must be approved by the Risk Management office.