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Service Provider Engagement Procedure

Service Providers are individuals or businesses that are engaged for limited work at the University in a non-employee capacity. Both the requested work and Service Provider selected must meet specific qualifications in accordance with our Service Provider Policy. This Policy pertains specifically to Independent Contractors and Vendors, which have different federal tax classifications. The same work may be requested of either, but the registration process and formal agreements are slightly different depending on the type of Service Provider used. Examples of common Service Providers include:

  • Entertainers
  • Instrument Tuners/Repairers
  • Photographers
  • Proofreaders
  • Translators
  • Video Editors

How to Engage a Service Provider

The engagement process depends on whether you have identified an individual or business to complete the work. To avoid duplicative work and expedite the process, we recommend identifying a provider after the work you need done is evaluated by Human Resources and determined to warrant use of a Service Provider. See full Service Provider Engagement Workflow (also displayed below) for additional information.

Service Provider Process - Workflow Steps - 0_6 Completed.jpg

The following steps must be completed BEFORE any work commences or a contract is signed:

  1. Position Approval: Hiring Managers must begin by getting approval from their Contract Request Approver to engage an individual for work.
  2. Form Completion: Hiring Managers must complete the Employee or Service Provider Determination Form before a contract is signed or any work begins. We recommend completing this form prior to identifying a Service Provider to prevent any delays and streamline completion.
  3. Role Evaluation: The form is routed to HR Shared Services to determine if the work is that of an Employee or Service Provider. Roles for Employees are rerouted to the HR hiring process - see Search & Hiring Guidelines for details. Roles for Service Providers continue with the below steps.
  4. Service Provider Identification & Evaluation: As per the Procurement & Open Competition Policy, all “significant transactions… shall be competitively sourced under the management of Procurement Services.” We recommend contacting eprocurement@newschool.edu for assistance prior to selecting your preferred Service Provider to prevent delays.
    1. If a Service Provider is identified on the form, Procurement Services will evaluate their eligibility to perform the requested services. If approved, the Service Provider will be asked to complete a Supplier Registration Form and submit a copy of their tax documentation (W-9 or W-8 BEN and FNIC), if they have not done so previously.
    2. If a Service Provider is not identified on the form or was not approved in step 4.a, Procurement Services will offer the Hiring Manager a list of registered Service Providers who are approved to complete the requested services, if available. Hiring Managers may also subsequently suggest a new Service Provider through completion of the supplementary Service Provider Eligibility Form, which will be reviewed and evaluated by Procurement Services.
      1. TIP: We recommend that Hiring Managers advise their Service Provider that the Supplier Registration Form will be sent from the email address eprocurement@newschool.edu. Please advise the Service Provider that this registration form must be completed to proceed with the process.
  5. Supplier Registration: Once approved, a new Service Provider will be asked to complete a Supplier Registration Form and submit a copy of their tax documentation (W-9 or W-8 BEN and FNIC). After the approved Service Provider submits the Supplier Registration Form, Procurement Services will determine whether the Service Provider must be classified as a Vendor or an IC.
    1. Existing Service Providers do not need to re-completed the Supplier Registration Form.
  6. Contract Execution: Procurement Services initiates the appropriate contract for the approved Service Provider. All contracts must be approved by the designated approver and signed by the Service Provider and an authorized signatory from the University.
    1. If the work of the Service Provider requires a temporary University email address and/or limited access to select systems, the contract will require formal review and approval by the ISPO when the Service Provider will work with personally-identifiable or sensitive information, critical or sensitive business information, and/or critical academic information.
    2. If a Conflict of Interest is disclosed by the Service Provider in the contract, Procurement Services will evaluate the conflict and recommend appropriate steps to address the conflict.
    3. The Service Provider may begin working for the Hiring Manager after the contract is fully executed.
  7. Invoice & Payment: Service Providers must submit their invoices for payment via the Digital Mailroom.

The Hiring Manager, Contract Request Approver, and approver from the Office of Research Support (where applicable) are notified via email of the progress of their submissions through the above process.

Please refer to IC Contract Modification if you need to amend an approved contract with an independent contractor.

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