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Policy and Form Documents

Policy & Form Documents

Who is responsible for completing credit applications received from vendors?

It is against University Policy to complete/sign any vendor forms. Forward any credit application requests to procurement@northwestern.edu. Procurement and Payment Services will send the necessary information directly to the vendor.

Where can I find a tax-exempt certificate?

  • Procurement and Payment Services keeps information related to Northwestern’s tax-exempt status in Illinois as well as several other states on file. If a department/school needs proof of Northwestern’s tax-exempt status, please adhere to the following:
  • An official Purchase Order should be issued to vendors for University purchases. It references the standard NU Purchase Order terms which includes tax-exempt information.
  • Many vendors will accept an Illinois Tax-Exempt One Time Use Letter for individual purchases, which includes appropriate approval information.
  • Procurement and Payment Services can send the official Illinois Tax-Exempt Certificate (or the official certificate from other states where NU is tax-exempt) directly to vendors that do not accept either of the above. Procurement and Payment Services does not provide the official Illinois tax-exempt letter to departments/schools. For more information, contact Procurement and Payment Services at 1-8120 or procurement@northwestern.edu.

Where can I locate a W-9 form to be sent to a vendor?

Accounting Services handles all W-9 information. Contact Veronica Hudgins at 1-5337 or v-hudgins@northwestern.edu.

Where can I find the Conflict of Interest Form?

Where can I find frequently used Accounts Payable forms?

Frequently used forms can be found on the Financial Operations Policy and Procedure page.

How do I obtain a Sole Source Justification (SSJ) or Bid Document (BD) form?

For an SSJ or BD document, you will use the Purchasing Decision Documentation form. This is an interactive form that populates a BD or SSJ upon completion. For assistance in completing the form, please reference the Purchasing Decision Documentation job-aid.