In accordance with the Financial Regulations - Signing Official Documents, the Vice-Chancellor, the Chief Operating Officer, the Director of Finance and Director of Estates shall have implied authority to make contracts on behalf of the University and delegate such authority to members of their staff.
Information on the authority to incur non-pay expenditure is provided in the Regulations and the Schedule of Delegated Authority to sign contractual documents on behalf of the University is below.
It is the responsibility of those signing contractual documents to ensure that where appropriate (which will normally be in all cases unless a standard template is being followed) legal advice has been obtained and is in support of the documents being executed. Primary responsibility for retaining an original of all signed agreements rests with the originating department; for documents of particular importance to the University, the Legal Office should be given the original to hold in its safe.
Delegated authority to sign contractual documents on behalf of the University
| Department | Document | Post |
|---|---|---|
| All academic departments | Student placement agreements | PVC (Student Experience), PVC (Education) Head of Department, or as delegated by Head of Department |
| Non-disclosure agreements (commercial) | Head of Department, or as delegated by Head of Department | |
| Contracts to deliver education, e.g. bids for NHS contracts | Head of Department, or as delegated by Head of Department | |
| All professional services | Non-disclosure agreements (commercial) | Director/Head of Department of professional service, or as delegated by such |
| Education and student services | ESFA contracts | Director of Education and Student Services |
| Degree apprenticeship contracts | Degree Apprenticeship Compliance Manager | |
| Biology and Biochemistry | Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) in standard form | Head of Department |
| Pharmacy & Pharmacology | Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) in standard form | Head of Department |
| Research & Innovation Services | Confidentiality/Non-disclosure agreements | Director of Research & Innovation Services/ Head of Knowledge Exchange/Head of Technology Transfer/Head of Post-Award & Project Management/Head of Pre- Award/Head of Contracts/Technology Transfer Managers |
| Patent prosecution documents | Director of Research & Innovation Services/Head of Technology Transfer/Technology Transfer Managers/ Head of Contracts | |
| Externally Funded Postgraduate Research | Director of Research and Innovation Services/Head of Pre-Award/Head of Contracts | |
| Academic Consultancy Contracts in standard terms, up to £10,000 pa per individual | Director of Research and Innovation Services/Head of Knowledge Exchange/Head of Contractsˇ | |
| Academic Consultancy Contracts in standard terms, up to £50,000 pa per individual | Director of Research & Innovation Services | |
| Academic Continuous Professional Development Contracts in standard terms, up to £20,000 | Director of Research & Innovation Services/Head of Pre-Award/Head of Contracts | |
| Contracts/service agreements with external consultants | Director of Research & Innovation Services/Head of Pre-Award/ Head of Contracts | |
| Commercialisation Agreements up to £50,000 | Director of Research and Innovation Services/Head of Technology Transfer/Head of Contracts | |
| Commercialisation Agreements up to £250,000 | Director of Research and Innovation Services | |
| Patent Assignments | Director of Research and Innovation Services/Head of Technology Transfer/Head of Contracts | |
| KTP Agreements | Director of Research & Innovation Services/Head of Knowledge Exchange/Head of Contractsˇˇ | |
| Research Contracts/Agreements | Director of Research & Innovation Services/Head of Pre-Award/Head of Contractsˇˇˇ | |
| Material Transfer Agreements | Director of Research & Innovation Services/Head of Research Grant Development/Head of Pre-Award/Head of Contracts/Head of Technology Transferˇˇ | |
| Research Services to encompass CCAF, CAMERA and other services up to £20,000 | Director of Research & Innovation Services/Head of Pre-Award/Head of Contracts | |
| Digital, Data and Technology Group | Software Contracts | Chief Information and Digital Officer/Chief Operating Officer/Deputy Director (Technology) |
| Hardware procurement arrangements | Chief Information and Digital Officer/Chief Operating Officer/Deputy Director (Technology) | |
| Information Security and Risk - statements of compliance | Chief Information and Digital Officer/Chief Operating Officer/Deputy Director (Technology) | |
| Third Party Support contracts | Chief Information and Digital Officer/Chief Operating Officer | |
| Estates | Capital projects and operational contracts | Chief Operating Officer, Director of Estates, Director of Estates Operations, or as delegated by them |
| Human Resources | Contracts of Employment | Director of HR/Routinely sub-delegated to HR Recruitment Co-ordinators) |
| Contracts with external training suppliers and for provision of conference and meeting facilities/external venues | Director of HR/Deputy Director Workforce Development | |
| Secondment agreements | Director of HR/Deputy Directors/HR Business Partners | |
| Recruitment and Admissions | Contracts with overseas agents who recruit students | Director of Education and Student Services/ Director of Recruitment and Admissions |
| International Relations Office | Memoranda of Understanding | Deputy Vice-Chancellor, PVC (Education) or (Research), according to nature of activity |
| Letters of Intent | Deans | |
| Memoranda of Agreement | PVC (Education) and Dean (as appropriate) | |
| Library | Licences with publishers, Contracts for Library and Information Systems and Agreements with agencies such as the Copyright Licensing Agency | University Librarian (or delegated to Head of Library Academic/Operational/Research Services in their absence) |
| Licences with publishers, Contracts for Library and Information Systems and Agreements with agencies such as the Copyright Licensing Agency up to£50,000 | E-Resources and Serials Librarian/Bibliographic Services Librarian/Systems Librarian | |
| Department of Policy, Planning and Compliance | HEIDI Plus Agreement | Director of Policy, Planning and Compliance, or as delegated by the Director of Policy, Planning and Compliance |
| Anti-Bribery compliance statements | ||
| EngD Agreements, Filming Agreements | Senior Legal Adviser | |
| Vice-Chancellor's Office | HESA contracts | Vice-Chancellor |
| EngD Agreements, Filming Agreements | Senior Legal Adviser | |
| Finance | Letters of engagement with external accounting bodies | Director of Finance or as delegated by such |
| Statements of compliance on loan contracts and covenants for banks | Director of Finance or as delegated by such | |
| Procurement | Purchasing Orders for over £10,000 Contracts for purchase Consultancy Agreements | Head/Deputy Head of Procurement |
| Equipment lease agreements for over £10K | ||
| Supplier credit terms | ||
| Sports Development and Recreation | Equipment and Merchandising contracts up to £10,000 for less than 3 years. Standard contracts (approved by legal) for events, facilities hire, sponsorship and partnerships | Director of Sport |
| School of Management | Contracts to deliver executive education | Deputy Vice-Chancellor/Dean of the School of Management/PVC (Education) |
| (non credit-bearing provision only – see RIS entry for academic consultancy) |
ˇIn the event that all of the aforementioned are away (for example because of annual leave):- Head of Technology Transfer
ˇˇIn the event that all of the aforementioned are away from work (for example because of annual leave):- Head of Research Grant Development/Head of Pre-Award/Head of Technology Transfer.
ˇˇˇIn the event that all of the aforementioned are away from work (for example because of annual leave):- Head of Research Grant Development/Head of Knowledge Exchange/Head of Technology Transfer
Last reviewed by University Executive Board: May 2022
[Document to be reviewed as necessary to maintain up-to-date record of delegated authority]