Contract Review Process
Given the number of one-off improvements over the past couple of years to our contract review/approval and our signature processes, we thought it would be helpful for you to have all such updates in one place.
The impetus behind these changes was to streamline the contract process so that it is easier and faster for you. We’re delighted to have already heard from a great number of you that these improvements have resulted in less administrative burdens and created other value and efficiencies.
As always, if you have any suggestions/questions or need any clarifications, please feel free to reach out to the Office of General Counsel (OGC) who is more than happy to assist. As you know, most contracts still need legal review by OGC, but subject to the following:
- Reminder 1: Your contracts no longer need to be initialed by anyone (including OGC)
- Reminder 2: You can now seek signatures on your own contracts when they’re execution ready, instead of waiting on someone else (including OGC) to obtain them
- The person signing for NU must be authorized to sign (via an existing written delegation with respect to contract category and dollar amount)
- Reminder 3: You no longer have to submit the below types of contracts to OGC for legal review (but please send the final version signed by all parties to Linda LeVeque, Administrative Assistant in OGC for recordkeeping )
- $25,000 or less in spend/value per contract (or per year if multi-year contract), unless the subject matter or terms are particularly sensitive or materially risky
- Renewal of an existing contract (presumably previously reviewed by OGC) on the same legal terms (changes to business terms or immaterial changes are okay and do not need OGC review)
- NU forms (from NU website, School, Department, etc) with unmodified legal terms (changes to business terms or immaterial changes are okay and do not need OGC review)
(Note: you should always push to use an NU form, this will drastically improve the speed and ease of signing an agreement)
Forms can come from:- NU terms and conditions to accompany a purchase, see: https://www.northwestern.edu/procurement/docs/poterms.pdf
- NU CDA/NDA (confidential disclosure / non-disclosure agreement) not regarding research, see: https://www.invo.northwestern.edu/documents/invention-disclosure/mutual-confidentiality-agreement.pdf
- Your School/Department
- OSR/OR (research related matters, grant/sponsor dollars, etc)
- See: https://osr.northwestern.edu/agreements/types
- Research CDA/NDA, data use, material transfer, and certain other research agreements, contracts, etc. should be routed through InfoEd
- Contract OSR directly to discuss NU approved forms/templates
- IT (security, software licenses and other IT matters)
- Procurement
- Purchases/leases of certain equipment, supplies and other products
- There might already be an existing relationship/agreement elsewhere at NU
- NU has preferred vendors/suppliers with preferred pricing and terms
- Should your agreement be competitively bid out?
- Facilities Management (remodeling, renovating, building, construction, real estate, etc)
- Risk Management (unique exposure, insurance, risk of property damage or injury/death, etc)
- Treasury/Controller (credit card or e-commerce)
- University Relations (special events, carnivals, races, etc)
- Hotel, restaurant, and catering agreements