Contracts & Transactions

Contracts Requiring Review

 All Northeastern contracts must be reviewed by the Office of the General Counsel (“OGC”) unless:

• The contract is related to government research or sponsored research, in which case the contract should be submitted for review through the Northeastern University Research Enterprise Services contract review process.
• The goods or services are purchased either (1) using a purchase order that does not include any legal terms or (2) using an employee procurement card and Northeastern is not required to sign any additional terms or conditions. For more information on either of these options, refer to the Procurement Services website or contact Procurement Services at procurement@northeastern.edu.
• The contract is on an unaltered OGC-approved Northeastern University template. (insert link to approved template site here)

Submitting a Contract for Review and Signature

A contract requiring review by the OGC and signature by an authorized university signatory may only be submitted for review by a college’s or department’s contract “gatekeeper”.  To determine who the contract gatekeepers are for your college or department, contact your college’s or department’s administration and finance staff or email OGCContracts@northeastern.edu.

If your contract is for the purchase of goods or services by Northeastern, the contract must be submitted through IntelliBuy.  For additional information about IntelliBuy, please visit: Husky IntelliBuy – Home (sharepoint.com)  Your gatekeeper is familiar with IntelliBuy, and they will help guide you through the process.  If Northeastern has previously contracted with the same vendor, the most recent prior contract and any other contracts and documentation relevant to review of the contract should be uploaded to the IntelliBuy record as attachments.  Failure to include these documents will delay the review of your contract.  Once your gatekeeper has submitted your contract for review, it will be routed through IntelliBuy and to the OGC for assignment to an appropriate reviewer. 

If your contract is for Northeastern to provide services to a third party, the contract may be submitted to the OGC outside of IntelliBuy.  You should work with your gatekeeper to submit the following by email to OGCContracts@northeastern.edu:

1. A completed and signed contract submission checklist.
2. A copy of the contract to be reviewed.
3. The most recent prior contract with the same vendor, if any.
4. Any other supporting documentation that is relevant to review of the contract.

Contract Review and Signature

 The reviewing attorney or paralegal will reach out to the contract submitter with any questions or comments relating to the proposed contract, and they will also forward any requested edits to the contract submitter.  It is the submitter’s responsibility to forward the edited version of the contract to the other party for review. 

Once the OGC completes its review of a contract and the parties have agreed to a final version, the OGC will approve the IntelliBuy record, moving the contract to the appropriate Northeastern signatory for electronic signature. Once the contract is signed electronically by Northeastern, it will be forwarded to the vendor for signature if applicable.  Fully executed contracts are available for review in IntelliBuy. 

If the contract was submitted to the OGC outside of IntelliBuy, a signed copy will be returned electronically to the submitter and gatekeeper. It is the responsibility of the submitter to obtain the other party’s signature on any contract submitted to the OGC outside of IntelliBuy.

Timing

 The OGC Contracts and Transactions team reviews more than 5,000 individual contracts each year. We do our best to complete our review of each contract as quickly as possible.  Submitters should allow at least ten (10) business days from the date the contract is received by OGC for the review of a contract, but please note that approval may take longer if negotiation of the contract is required or at high-volume times of year (for example, at the beginning or end of academic terms). You should ask your gatekeeper for contract status updates (if the information is not available to you in IntelliBuy). If necessary, you may also inquire as to the status of a contract being handled outside of IntelliBuy by emailing OGCContracts@northeastern.edu.

Meetings and Trainings.

 Members of the OGC Contracts and Transactions team are always happy to meet with individuals or groups to provide training regarding the contract review process or to address any concerns relating to Northeastern contracts. If you or your division is interested in scheduling such a meeting or training, please contact Katie Mulligan-Huha at: k.mulligan-huha@northeastern.edu