ACTION REQUIRED: Changes to Apple Product Purchasing in PAW Effective October 1, 2026
To: UMBC Campus Community
From: Procurement & Division of Information Technology (DoIT)
Please be advised of an upcoming change to how university-owned Apple products are procured.
Due to the terms of the Maryland Education Enterprise Consortium (MEEC) agreement, UMBC will no longer be able to facilitate purchases directly through Apple. Effective October 1, 2026, the Apple punch-out tile will be removed from the PAW system.
To ensure a smooth transition and compliance with the MEEC agreement, please review the updated purchasing guidelines below:
Standard Apple Purchases
All institutional purchases of Apple Computer, Laptop, iPad, or iPhone products must now be routed through our authorized MEEC resellers. You can access their catalogs directly in the PAW system using the following punch-out tiles:
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B&H
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CDW-G
Custom-Configured Apple Devices
If your department requires a custom-configured Apple device (such as upgraded memory, specialized storage, or specific processors) that is not listed in the standard reseller catalogs, these orders are fully supported through B&H or CDW-G:
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Request a Quote: Contact Client Services with an RT ticket of your exact specifications (or to consult with DoIT Client Services for guidance on technical specs).
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Receive an eQuote: The reseller will generate a custom quote tailored to UMBC's MEEC pricing and load it into their system.
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Retrieve in PAW: Log into PAW, click the respective B&H or CDW-G punch-out tile, and navigate to the "eQuotes" or "Saved Quotes" section to retrieve your quote and complete the requisition.
Please note: Custom-configured (built-to-order) Apple devices ship directly from the manufacturer to the reseller and typically require extended lead times. Please plan your purchasing timelines accordingly.
Policy Reminders
Workarounds for direct Apple purchases are strictly prohibited. As a reminder:
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Apple Computer, Laptop, iPad, or iPhone products cannot be purchased using a university P-Card.
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Apple Computer, Laptop, iPad, or iPhone products cannot be purchased through Amazon.
Contacts & Support
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Purchasing, PAW Requisitions, & Policy Questions: Contact Procurement Services by submitting a ticket at https://procurement.umbc.edu/contact-us/
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Custom Configurations, Hardware Specs, & Technical Guidance: Contact DoIT Client Services by submitting a ticket at https://help.umbc.edu
If you have pending direct-from-Apple purchases or saved carts in PAW, please ensure they are finalized before October 1 or recreated using the B&H or CDW-G tiles.
We apologize for the late notice of this change and recongize that it might have an impact on your plans. Thankfully, alternate methods of purchaing Apple devices exist. Please also know that this change with Apple is impacting all USM institutions.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping UMBC's procurement processes compliant.