Suppliers FAQ

• Becoming a Supplier
• Special Requirements
• Bidding Opportunities
• Small Business and Disabled Veterans
• Shipping Information
• Parking Information
• General Information
• Invoices and Supplier Payments
• CSUBuy

Becoming a Supplier

New Suppliers

• How do I become a supplier for SJSU?

  • A PaymentWorks invitation from an SJSU representative will be submitted to the supplier who is being requested to do business with San José State University.

• Can an out of state supplier do business for SJSU?

  • Yes, we work with suppliers across the United States.  Please check out the California Franchise Tax Board & California Department of Tax and Fee Administration for tax information.

• Are there any taxes that impact a supplier within California and outside of California for SJSU?
  • • Within California, visit the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration for more information.
    • Outside of California, check out the California Franchise Tax Board.
• I don't have a taxpayer ID number (TIN)?

  • If you do not have a Taxpayer ID Number (TIN) or a Social Security Number (SSN), SJSU will not be able to do business with you.

• What happens when SJSU asks for a quote or decides to purchase from my company?

  • Depending on the nature of the purchase, a member of the Strategic Sourcing - Contracts & Procurement Services team may provide a Purchase Order or utilize a ProCard to complete the transaction.

• What if the Supplier is employed at a California State University (CSU) campus?

  • If the person providing a service works for the CSU, they can only be paid through a CPO.  Please contact Accounting Services for more information.

• What is the SJSU Supplier Portal?

  • PaymentWorks is a website where you can register your company or an independent contractor with SJSU. For more information, see Becoming a Supplier.

PaymentWorks Onboarding

• What should I do if my company's Administrative User leaves the company and none of the other users has the Administrative Role?

  • Contact PaymentWorks customer support at support@paymentworks.com

• How do I determine if I should register as a New Supplier or an Existing Supplier?

  • If you’ve received a payment from San José State University, you an Existing Supplier. If you’ve never received payment, you are a New Supplier.

• What if my information changes? How do I update my remit addresses?

  • Please login to PaymentWorks to update your profile.

• Why do I have to register on-line if I already have a Supplier Number?

  • Your company may already have a Supplier Number, but may not be registered on PaymentWorks. The benefits of being registered in the SJSU procurement system are

    • the ability to submit your registration on a secure platform,
    • the ability to monitor your invoice status, and
    • the ability to manage your company’s information, including users, ACH bank information, corporate address, and remit addresses.
• How do I reset my password?

  • Go to PaymentWorks to reset your password.

• How can I view payment information?

  • Please login to PaymentWorks to view payment information.

Tax Implications

• What type of forms need to be completed for tax purposes?
  •  Nonresident Withholding Allocation Worksheet Std. 587 [pdf]
• What if I am tax exempt?
  • If you are tax exempt, please provide documentation during the PaymentWorks onboarding process, with your contract or submit it to our Payment Services office.
    See Withholding Exemption Certificate Form 590 [pdf]

Special Requirements

• Where can I find the Accessible Technology requirements for SJSU?
  • See the CSU Procurement Process and SJSU's Special Requirements page.
• Where can I find the Furniture Standard requirements for SJSU?
  • Our Facilities, Development & Operations department is in charge of the requirements.  If you are a supplier, looking for more information, contact their office or visit the FD&O Services page for more information.
•  Do I need to have insurance?
  • Suppliers, Caterers and Transportation providers are required to have insurance coverage and provide proof.  See Risk Management for more information.
• Why do I need to provide insurance?
  • If you plan to be on campus to provide a service, delivering food on campus or transporting SJSU individuals, you must provide insurance documentation before said service.
• Who do I provide the insurance to?
  • A Certificate of Insurance can be submitted directly to our Insurance inbox at contracts-insurance@sjsu.edu.

Bidding Opportunities

What are your Bidding Limits?

• For Goods and Services
  • • Formal Bid/Request for Proposal: Acquisition greater than $100,000 [CSU Policy Stat 15204282]
    • Informal Bid/Request for Proposal: Acquisitions equal to or greater than $50,000 and equal to or less than $100,000  [CSU Policy Stat 15202482]
• For Information Technology (IT) Acquisitions
  •  
    • Formal Bid/Request for Proposal: Acquisition greater than $500,000 [CSU Policy Stat 15202482]
    • Informal Bid/Request for Proposal: Acquisitions equal to or greater than $50,000 and equal to or less than $500,000 [CSU Policy Stat 15202482]
• For Public Works
  •  
    • Formal Bid/Request for Proposal: Acquisition greater than $100,000 [CSU Policy Stat 15202482]
    • Informal Bid/Request for Proposal: Acquisitions equal to or greater than $50,000 and equal to or less than $100,000 [CSU Policy Stat 15202482]

General Bidding Questions

• Where and how do I find out what opportunities are available for bidding for SJSU?
  • Look for bidding opportunities on CalUsource, GovQuote and PublicWorks projects on PlanetBids.
• When are the results of an Invitation for Bid (IFB) available, and where are they located?

  • It is dependent on the project.

    • For formal bids refer to the posted schedules in the websites provided above.
    • For informal bids please direct these questions to the Strategic Sourcing - Contracts team member.
• How do I register to participate in bidding opportunities?
  • • CalUsource
    • Department of General Services
    • GovQuote
    • PlanetBids
• Will we be automatically placed on a state contract after the onboarding registration process?
  • No. Follow instructions for individual bidding opportunities as mentioned above.
• How do I search for bidding opportunities for SJSU?

  • You can search on Cal eProcure and CalUsource 

• How do I attach documents to my online/electronic bid?
  • Please see instructions for each of the bidding websites mentioned above.
• Do I have to be registered to submit a bid?

  • Yes, Suppliers must be registered and have a valid Supplier Number through the SJSU Supplier Portal.

• How do I find a contract with the CSU?

  • See the CSU Agreements (Systemwide): Master Enabling Agreements and Task Order Contracts page.

• What is the difference between a sole source and a sole brand?
  • • Sole Source is an item that is available from only one vendor. The item is one-of-a-kind and is not sold through distributors.
    • Sole Brand means the product can be purchased from various vendors who can supply the specified model and brand.
• What is a follow-on contract? Why is it prohibited?
  • A follow-on contract is an additional purchase of a product or services that will put the whole contract value over the applicable solicitation threshold or the addition of new work that was not within the scope of or incidental to the original contract scope of work, either as part of the base contract or as an option under an existing contract. It is prohibited because it is not in compliance with CSU solicitation policies.
• How does my contract get renewed?
  • Procurement does not initiate the renewal of contracts. Procurement has no insight into whether the product or service is still needed. It is the responsibility of the department using the services or product to monitor contract expiration dates and contact Procure to Pay to initiate a renewal. Procure to Pay must be contacted at least 60 days before contract 
• What are the prevailing wage requirements?
  • See the prevailing wage requirements on the Department of Industrial Relations website.

Small Businesses and Disabled Veterans

• Why do I want to register as a Small Business (SM) or Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise (DVBE)?

  • Please refer to the NorCalSBDC (Small Business Development Center) for benefits of becoming a California Certified SB or DVBE. See also our Small Businesses webpage.

    You might also consider:

    1. As a certified small business you are eligible for the state's Small Business Participation Program. The program sets a goal for the use of small businesses in at least 25% of the state's overall annual contract dollars.
       
       
    2. When applying bidder preferences, in which non-small business bidders may be eligible, certified small business and microbusiness bidders have precedence over non-small business bidders. (Small business bids cannot be displaced by non-small business bids when applying any applicable lawful preferences.)
       
       
    3. Certified small businesses increase their visibility and expand their business networking opportunities by being automatically listed in the online Certified Firm and Application Status Search.
• How do I register for SB/DVBE?
  • Refer to Apply For or Re-apply as Small Business, Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise 
• I am a DVBE; how can I work with SJSU?
  • Please register on the CSU Public Bid Portal, to find SJSU’s bidding opportunities. 
• How do I register with SJSU as a Small Business or Small Diverse Business?

  • Two possible answers below:

    1. If you are already registered as a supplier with SJSU, please contact our SB/DVBE Advocate (under Contact Information).
    2. If you have received an invitation from PaymentWorks to be our supplier, please complete the SB/DVBE section so your company is flagged appropriately.
• Where can I find the Statewide Advocates Directory?

  • Refer to the Small Business (SB)/Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) Advocate Directory 

Shipping Information

• What is the SJSU campus shipping address?
  • 129 South 10th Street
    San Jose, CA 95125
• I have a shipment for SJSU but do not know who to contact.
  • Please contact our Distribution Services for delivery instructions

Parking Information

• What are my parking options?

  • Please refer to:

    • Main Campus Map
    • South Campus Map

General Information

• What is ACH?

  • ACH stands for Automated Clearing House. This is an electronic payment program that replaces payment by check with electronic transfer of funds directly to the Supplier's designated bank account.

    NOTE: Payment not processed as ACH will be sent as a check via US Postal Service.

• What is EIN?
  • EIN is the Employer Identification Number. EIN is interchangeable with both Tax Identification Number (TIN) and Federal Identification Number (FIN). 
• What is a TIN?
  • TIN is Tax Identification Number. TIN is interchangeable with both Employer Identification Number (EIN) and Federal Identification Number (FIN).
• What is a FIN?
  • FIN is the Federal Identification Number. FIN is interchangeable with both Employer Identification Number (EIN) and Tax Identification Number (TIN).

Invoices and Supplier Payments

• Who do I make the invoice to?

  • San Jose State University

    NOTE: If working with an Auxiliary, please contact them for information on their check payable process:

    • Associated Students
    • Research Foundation
    • Spartan Shops
    • Student Union
    • Tower Foundation
• What causes delays in the payment process?
  • • The invoice does not match the Purchase Order number
    • The Purchase Order number is missing  or invalid
    • The invoice is not provided to Payment Services
    • The items are not received, or the service is not complete
• How do I collect payment from SJSU for the goods or services I have provided?
  • If you have submitted an invoice, payment depends on the terms and conditions you selected when becoming a vendor.
• Is there a way to get payment verification on my invoice?
  • You can look up your payment information through our PaymentWorks portal.
• Where do I send my invoice?
  •  
    1. Email supplier-invoices@sjsu.edu, or
    2. Send it through our e-Invoice portal
• Why is there a deduction in my payment?
  • Checks reflecting a deduction is typically due to withholding taxes. Please review withholding information for non-residents.
• What is a Remit-to Address?
  • Payments will be sent to this address, which is commonly referred to as the Invoicing Party Address.

CSUBuy

• What is CSUBuy?
  • CSUBuy is configured for all of CSU campuses to make purchases through a designated marketplace website.
• How do I get onto CSUBuy website?
  •  

    At this time, suppliers are approved and configured by the CSU. As time goes on, more suppliers will be added to CSUBUY.

    If you have interest in more information, please contact the CSU Chancellor's Office.