Baylor’s Procurement and Payment Services supports the University’s mission by facilitating the execution of business contracts while ensuring the protection of the University and maintaining compliance with applicable laws, policies, and procedures. By and through its central purchasing and contract authority for the University, P2P is responsible for managing the procurement and contract process on a university-wide basis, including purchasing contracts and any other legal agreements associated with the acquisition of goods and services that support the University's educational, research, and business initiatives.
What is a contract?
A contract is a legally binding agreement consisting of promises to perform, and imposing duties on the parties to perform as promised. A party may be in breach of the contract if it fails to perform. A breach of the contract may entitle the other party to a legal remedy.
To form a contract, one party generally makes an offer which indicates the willingness to enter an agreement under certain terms. If the offer is accepted by the other party, the parties form a contract, provided that there is consideration. Consideration is the bargained-for exchange between the parties, whether it be mutual promises, money, or labor. Both parties must also have the legal capacity to contract.
Please note, quotes, proposal, or invoices which contain terms and conditions above and beyond price, quantity, description, and dates, will need to be reviewed and approved by a Category Manager to determine if a formal written contract is necessary or whether the stated terms and conditions are acceptable.
Preferred Suppliers, MSAs, and Purchase Orders
Does Baylor already have a preferred supplier relationship which can provide this good or service? Before submitting a contract request, please review Baylor’s existing preferred supplier relationships and contracts. If Baylor has already engaged a provider for the good or service, please utilize that relationship.
The goal is to help eliminate waste but to also derive benefit from volume discounts, use of standard purchase orders instead of negotiating new agreements each time, and from trusted and established supplier relationships. So before submitting a request, be sure to double-check whether there is another relationship in-place to fulfill your need more quickly!
Contract Templates
For certain circumstances, a Baylor Contract Template is the preferred method for procuring goods or services or for other types of engagements. Please consult the Buy and Pay Guide for recommended contracting methods/requirements and the Contract Types and Templates Guide for a list of templates that should be utilized.
These templates are already available in TCM, you just need to complete the fields in the Contract Request to populate the agreement. The Category Manager will process the request and generate the contract.
Request a Contract Review
All contract requests must be submitted through Baylor’s Total Contract Manager (TCM) platform. All contract requests are routed to the most appropriate Category Manager based on the subject matter of the request.
Please note that Baylor has several pre-approved contract templates that will facilitate the review and approval process. We highly encourage you to use a contract template found in TCM.
Contract Approval
The authority to approve and sign contracts on behalf of the University rests with authorized University employees, although in some cases, additional approval from University leadership, departments, or University governing bodies may be required depending upon the contract’s levels of operational, financial, regulatory, or safety risks.
All contract approval signatures are automatically routed and managed within TCM.
Renewing, Extending, or Amending A Contract
Please contact the appropriate Category Manager if seeking to renew, extend, or amend a contract.
Cancelling or Terminating A Contract
In the event there is a performance issue or breach event with a contract supplier or service provider, please contact the Category Manager to coordinate next steps.