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 | VP (Student Experience) Head of Department, or as delegated by Head of Department |
| Biology and Biochemistry | Material Transfer Agreements in standard form | Head of Department |
| Pharmacy & Pharmacology | Material Transfer Agreements in standard form | Head of Department |
| Research & Innovation Services | Confidentiality/Non-disclosure agreements | Director of Research & Innovation Services/ Head of Research Grant Development (Industrial Strategy)/Head of Research Impact and Commercialisation and Enterprise/Head of Post-Award & Project Management/Head of Pre-Award/ Head of Contracts/Research Commercialisation Managers |
| Patent prosecution documents | Director of Research & Innovation Services/Research Commercialisation Managers/Head of Contracts | |
| Externally Funded Postgraduate Research | Director of Researchand InnovationServices/Head ofPre-Award/Head ofContracts | |
| Academic ConsultancyContracts in standardterms, up to £10,000 paper individual | Director of Research and Innovation Services/Head of Research Commercialisation and Enterprise/Head of Contracts | |
| 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 Research Commercialisation and Enterprise | |
| Commercialisation Agreements up to £250,000 | Director of Research and Innovation Services | |
| KTP Agreements | Director of Research & Innovation Services/Head of Pre-Award and Head of Contractsˇ | |
| Research Contracts/Agreements | Director of Research & Innovation Services/Head of Pre-Award/Head of Contracts | |
| Material Transfer Agreements | Director of Research & Innovation Services/Headof Research Grant Development (Research Councils, EC and Charities/Head of Pre-Award/Head of Contractsˇˇ | |
| 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 Digital and Information Officer/Deputy Director (Technology) |
| Hardware procurement arrangements | Chief Digital and Information Officer/Deputy Director (Technology) | |
| Third Party Support contracts | Chief Digital and Information Officer | |
| Estates | Capital projects and operational contracts | Director of Estates, Director of Estates Operations, or as delegated by them |
| Human Resources | Contracts of Employment | Director of HR/Deputy Directors/HR Business Partners/HR Advisors (for grades 1-5) |
| Contracts with external training suppliers and for provision of conference and meeting facilities/external venues | Director of HR/Staff Development Manager/Head of Staff Development | |
| Secondment agreements | Director of HR/Deputy Directors/HR Business Partners | |
| Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach | Contracts with overseas agents who recruit students | Director of Student Recruitment and Admissions |
| Postgraduate Recruitment & Admissions | Contracts with overseas agents who recruit students | Academic Director of PGT Recruitment and Admissions |
| International Relations Office | Memoranda of Understanding | Pro-VC (Doctoral and Internationalisation) |
| Library | Licences with publishers, Contracts for Library and Information Systems and Agreements with agencies such as the Copyright Licensing Agency up to £150,000 | University Librarian |
| Licences with publishers, Contracts for Library and Information Systems and Agreements with agencies such as the Copyright Licensing Agency up to £50,000 | Head of Library Academic Services/Head of Library Operational Services/Head of Library Research Services | |
| Licences with publishers, Contracts for Library and Information Systems and Agreements with agencies such as the Copyright Licensing Agency up to £25,000 | E-Resources and Serials Librarian/Bibliographic Services Librarian/Systems Librarian | |
| Department of Policy, Planning and Compliance | HEIDI Plus Agreement, Degree apprenticeship contracts and ESFA contracts | Director of Policy, Planning and Compliance, or as delegated by the Director of Policy, Planning and Compliance |
| Vice-Chancellor's Office | HESA contracts | Vice-Chancellor |
| EngD Agreements, Filming Agreements | Senior Legal Adviser | |
| Procurement | Purchasing Orders for over £10,000 Contracts for purchase Consultancy Agreements | Head/Deputy Head of Procurement |
| Sports Development and Recreation | Equipment and Merchandising contracts up to £10,000 for less than3 years. Standard contracts (approved by legal) for events, facilities hire, sponsorship and partnerships | Director of Sport |
| Executive Education | Contracts to deliver executive education (non credit-bearingprovision only – see RISentry for academicconsultancy) | Director of Executive Education or Commercial Director |
ˇIn the event that all of the above are away from the University (physically away because for example of annual leave):- Head of Research Grant Development/Head of Research Grant Development (Industrial Strategy)/Head of Research Commercialisation and Enterprise.
ˇˇDitto
Last reviewed by University Executive Board: 26 November 2019
[Document to be reviewed as necessary to maintain up-to-date record of delegated authority]