Vendor Addition and Maintenance (Campus Department Use)

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Addition of New Suppliers to USM Database

When it is determined that a new vendor will need to be added to the University’s Supplier Database, the following procedure will be followed:

For New domestic vendors:

Supplier must complete - Supplier Registration Form

Supplier must complete - Federal Tax W-9 Form and Instructions

Once Documentation is received, the Supplier Maintenance Specialist will log into the Federal Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), enter the supplier Social Security Number for Individuals or advanced search with Name, State/Country, or Tax Identification Number for suppliers to determine if the individual/supplier is currently on the excluded parties list. If the search brings back no results, a copy of the search results are printed and filed with the supplier records. The supplier is then added to the supplier database. If the EPLS search finds a match, the supplier information is either returned to the requesting department or the supplier, informing them that the University cannot do business with the supplier until such time as they are removed from the excluded parties list..
 

For New International Suppliers:

If a determination is made by a University Department that an international supplier will need to be added to the University’s Supplier Database, the following procedure will be followed:

 a. Requesting department is responsible for e-mailing the Foreign Corporation Information form and the W-8BEN form to the prospective supplier. Once the department has received the completed form, it should be sent to the Office of Tax Compliance for review.

 b. The Office of Tax Compliance will notify the requesting department of any additional IRS forms needed before the supplier can be added to the supplier database.

 c. Once all required documentation is received, The Office of Tax Compliance will send all necessary paperwork to the Supplier Maintenance Specialist who will follow the EPLS procedures described in section c. of the domestic supplier procedure prior to adding the supplier to the Supplier Database.

 

Ongoing Supplier Verification Procedures:

Supplier Validation

New suppliers are cleared through the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) before being added to our system. If a supplier matches on the EPLS, they cannot be used by the university.

Periodically, updates to the excluded parties list are downloaded and compared to all of the University’s active suppliers.  Any names that match are then searched in detail on the Excluded Parties List System.  If a USM supplier is found to match the EPLS, they are inactivated and no longer used.  If need arises for future use, they must first be cleared from the EPLS before being reinstated as active suppliers.

The following website is commonly used to find excluded individuals/entities:

https://oig.hhs.gov/exclusions/exclusions_list.asp