Policy and Initiative Information for Suppliers

Stanford Procurement Services is committed to the university’s mission to deploy its strengths to benefit our region, country and world, as well as to the sustainability goal of Zero Waste by 2030. To learn more, refer to Policy: Stanford’s commitment to responsible purchasing.

When required by law or policy, or when requested by a campus department, professional buyers in the Purchasing and Contracts Department generate formal Requests for Proposals (RFP) or Requests for Quotations (RFQ).

• Only the Stanford Purchasing and Contracts Department has the authority to issue RFPs. This is to ensure that the process conforms to both state law and university policy.
• Only responses to RFQs solicited by a professional buyer are regarded as meeting the requirements for competition in Purchasing.

The department requestor may consult directly with a supplier representative for technical or sophisticated information and assistance in developing specifications. The resulting purchase order, contract, agreement, memorandum of understanding, letter of intent, etc., must be executed only by the professional Purchasing staff with specifically delegated authority. Many pricing agreements have been established as a result of the competitive bid process. Once such contracts or agreements are established, Stanford buyers can purchase goods and services against them without being constrained by any additional requirement for competition.

Stanford University is committed to increasing opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses. For policy details and definitions, please refer to Stanford's External Affirmative Action Policy. 

Federal contracts require that we direct a certain percentage of expenditures to Small Disadvantaged Businesses. To see if your company qualifies and to apply for certification, visit the U.S. Small Business Administration Small Disadvantaged Business webpage.

Departments should inform suppliers if the product they are buying, such as a computer, will be used to store information protected under HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Suppliers should make every effort to maintain the security of such information, for example, if the product is returned to them for repair.

More information is available in the Administrative Guide1.6.2 Privacy and Security of Health Information (HIPAA) and the University HIPAA Manual.

According to Administrative Guide Policy 1.5.2: Staff Policy on Conflict of Commitment and Interest section 2d, staff may not accept any gifts exceeding $50 in value.

Because of its large foreign national student population and commitment to conducting research openly and without regard to citizenship, Stanford University does not generally permit the use of ITAR and other export controlled defense articles, software and technical data on campus or other university research facilities. Stanford, by policy, only performs "fundamental research" as defined by US export control regulations, namely basic and applied research that is not subject to access, dissemination or participation restrictions. These policies are articulated in Stanford's Research Policy Handbook at DoResearch Section 1.4 (Openness in Research) and DoResearch Section 8.1 (Export Controls Applicability, Policy Background and Regulatory Authority).

Policy Implementation

Stanford suppliers may not ship – and Stanford employees may not purchase on behalf of Stanford – any of the following items without express written preauthorization from Stanford’s Export Control Officer (steve.eisner@stanford.edu):

• Any ITAR-Controlled Defense Article, ITAR-Controlled Software or ITAR Technical Data. ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) controlled items are identified on its United States Munitions List (USML) at Part 121.
• Any "500/600 Series" Defense Article identified on the Export Administration Regulation'(EAR) Commerce Control List (CCL) in CCL Categories 0 through 9. "500/600 Series" Defense Articles have an ECCN Citation of which includes either a 5 or 6 in the third spot of a five digit alphanumeric sequence. Example: ECCN 9A610.
• Wassenaar Arrangement Munitions List Items. The Wassenaar Arrangement is a multilateral export control organization that regulates national security controlled items among member states.

Effective Jan. 1, 2023, suppliers must comply with California law regarding pay transparency, which includes the following requirements for California employers: 

• Employers with 15 or more employees must include the pay scale, defined as the “salary or hourly wage range that the employer reasonably expects to pay for the position,” in any job posting. If the employer uses a third party to publish or post a job, they must provide the pay scale to that third party, who must include it in the posting.
• Upon request, provide the pay scale for the position in which a current employee is employed.
• Maintain records of job title and wage history for each employee for the duration of employment and three years after the end of employment. The state’s labor commissioner is authorized to request these records to “determine if there is still a pattern of wage discrepancy.”
• Employers with 100 or more employees must comply with expanded pay data reporting requirements beginning May 2023.
• Employers with 100 or more employees hired through labor contractors must also submit a separate pay data report covering those employees beginning May 2023.

Stanford or other companies that suppliers work with may provide a suggested pay rate or pay range for a position, but ultimately the supplier’s organization is responsible for complying with this law. 

Suppliers must also provide the necessary information that Stanford needs to comply with its annual pay data reporting obligations for employees hired through the supplier. 

For more information, see CA Pay Equity Resources and Senate Bill 1162.  

Since September 1, 2007, Stanford University has recognized the importance of paying a living wage to all service workers at the university, whether they are directly employed by Stanford or by suppliers and contractors. This applies to services performed on the core campus premises (including the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center) that Stanford might otherwise perform with directly hired hourly paid employees, and to supplier/contractor employees not represented under a collective bargaining relationship.

Overview

Stanford recognizes that a living wage and other benefits enhance the quality of an individual's work experience. Through these guidelines, Stanford seeks to establish minimum pay, access to healthcare benefits and compensated time off for service workers. These guidelines are not intended to prevent suppliers/contractors from providing wages and benefits in excess of the minimums created here.

The wage guidelines are two-tiered, with an identified minimum living wage established if the employer provides a health plan, and a higher minimum living wage required if no health benefits are provided. The guidelines establish at least 10 compensated days off annually for full time employees who have worked for the supplier or contractor for at least 1 year. This includes holidays and other paid time off such as vacations, sick and personal days.

In addition, suppliers and contractors shall comply with state and federal law in providing employees with a safe working environment that is free from unlawful discrimination and harassment.

When Stanford changes suppliers or contractors, it will encourage the new supplier or contractor to fill any existing vacancies by interviewing and considering for hire qualified employees of the previous supplier or contractor.

Stanford further recognizes that federal law provides that "employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection and shall also have the right to refrain from any or all of such activities..." Stanford will continue to honor these rights.

The wage and benefit levels set under these guidelines will be reviewed on an annual basis and adjusted as appropriate based on recommendations from University Human Resources. The recommendations will be submitted to the President for his final decision.

Minimum Living Wage Rates

Applicability

These guidelines apply to suppliers and contractors whose employees provide any services, including but not limited to, maintenance, grounds keeping, housing and food services and general administrative jobs directly to Stanford University* when all of the following conditions are met:

• The workers are employees of suppliers/contractors with agreements with Stanford University.
• Such workers are regular or temporary employees of the supplier/contractor.
• Such workers are not represented under any existing collective bargaining relationship.
• The aggregate value of the contract(s) exceeds $100,000 per year. 

This means that single suppliers/contractors with several small contracts that are individually smaller than $100,000 but when totaled are at or above $100,000 will be covered by this policy.

*Excludes tenants or other entities doing business on university-owned land. This includes Stanford Hospital and Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.

On October 1st, 2006, the Stanford University Medical Center enacted a conflicts of interest policy to ensure that doctors' and scientists' interactions with the pharmaceutical industry are ethical and avoid conflicts of interest. It severely restricts the ability of physicians to accept industry gifts. It also bans pharmaceutical, bio-device and related industry representatives from many areas of the medical school without an appointment.