The UMBC Department of Procurement and Strategic Sourcing invites you to our Vendor Expo, which is happening now until noon in the University Center Ballroom!

This event is a great opportunity to connect one-on-one with representatives from over 30 suppliers. You'll meet with a diverse group of partners, including small businesses (SBR), minority-owned businesses (MBE), preferred vendors, and punchout suppliers.

Attendees can network with businesses specializing in a wide range of fields, including food & beverage, event planning, branding and marketing, IT, consulting, construction, life coaching, AV, janitorial services, and educational organizations.

We encourage all faculty and staff to attend and explore the wide range of services and products available. Confirmed suppliers will also be providing giveaways and promotional items.

• the benefits of using Amazon Business
• the process to get quotes for items with a minimum of $7,500 spend
• the new Curated Catalog, offering special pricing for IT and Office Supplies
• contact information for customer support
• information about the Free Dedicated (Direct) Delivery program

UMBC Procurement & Strategic Sourcing is excited to announce that during the week of June 30, 2025, we will implement Direct Delivery with Amazon Business for the entire UMBC campus (1000 Hilltop Circle).  This does not apply to Shady Grove, Rita Rossi Colwell Center, or either Research Park location.

Direct Delivery (DD) is a ship option that consolidates packages going to a single business address onto pallets.  With DD, Amazon optimizes for consolidation over speed, delivering purchases together on a pallet, during the same time window every day, and enabling faster drop off with one pallet scan from the delivery driver instead of multiple scans for parcel deliveries.  

This is a much more sustainable, consistent, and reliable delivery method.  Packages will then be sorted at the UMBC Warehouse and delivered across campus by staff from Retriever Card Center & Mail Services to the final delivery location on campus.

Starting next week, you should select the FREE Dedicated Delivery option at checkout whenever available so orders will arrive on a DD pallet.  

Please note that there are some items that are not eligible for DD.  Hazmat, heavy, bulky, or merchant-fulfilled items are ineligible for DD and will continue to be shipped via parcel delivery.

It is our hope that this change will significantly decrease any errors with Amazon package delivery and increase customer satisfaction.

We are writing to inform you about recent updates to UMBC’s campus catering policies, effective June 1, 2025. For events that only have UMBC employees, the UMBC Meal Policy and Pre-Approval Form will apply.

Continuing Processes 

Departmental Card (DCARD)

This program is managed by Retriever Card Center and Mail Services and is used by campus departments who have this card.  The DCARD can be used at the following merchants for food: Sorrento of Arbutus, Papa Johns (Arbutus location), and Oca Mocha.  Additional information about the DCARD program, including how to obtain one, can be found here.

Chartwells

Chartwells is the contracted food provider for the UMBC campus through June 30, 2028.  While they remain in that role, catering of any size can be ordered from them using this link.

Existing Contracted Caterers

UMBC is working with existing caterers, listed below, to continue being a campus provider.  Expenses up to $5,000 should be paid by P-card.  Expenses over $5,000 will need to be paid by Purchase Order (PO).

Absolutely Perfect Catering

Classic Catering People

Glenmore Catering

Main & Market

Rouge Fine Catering

New Processes

Orders up to $25,000

Campus departments/offices will be able to identify new food merchants who can meet UMBC’s business needs.  The merchant will need to agree and sign the UMBC Food Provision Agreement and they must be added as a supplier in PAW (initiated by the requesting UMBC department/office, if they are not already an active supplier in PAW).  

If the expense is up to $5,000, a P-card should be used if they have a Merchant Category Code (MCC) of Caterer (5811).  If their MCC is Restaurant (5812) or Fast Food (5814), the merchant will also agree to receive payment through Purchase Order (PO).

Orders over $25,000

Campus departments/offices will be able to identify food merchants who can meet UMBC’s business needs.  A minimum of three quotes will be required for a simplified procurement process.  The merchant will need to agree to the UMBC Food Provision Agreement and will be added as a supplier in PAW (initiated by the requesting UMBC department/office, if they are not already an active supplier in PAW).  The merchant will also agree to receive payment through a Purchase Order.

If you have any questions about these changes or need assistance with your catering plans, please contact Procurement at https://procurement.umbc.edu/contact-us/.

Procurement has rolled out a new form to enter suppliers. 
In an effort to reduce returned supplier forms the following has changed: 

• The correct up to date government form (W8-BEN, W8-BEN-E, or W9) is pre-loaded and suppliers no longer need to source their own forms. 

• Mandatory fields on the government forms so that the necessary fields are no longer skipped by the supplier. 

• Instructions for the supplier on how to fill out the form. 

Make sure you are only adding suppliers though the link in Paw. The link can be found under the section "Quick Links" on the homepage of Paw.

A guide to the new supplier form can be found on the Procurement website

I’m excited to announce that the Procurement & Strategic Sourcing Department has a number of new members that 

recently joined the team.  With the change in personnel, the Department has been reorganized to provide enhanced 

customer service to better align with the growth of the University.  Please reach out to the appropriate individual 

listed below as needed.

We appreciate your on-going patience as the Department has continued to move forward in a strategic manner.