Strategic Procurement and Contracts

Strategic Sourcing

Strategic Sourcing

SPC’s Strategic Sourcing Team is organized by major categories of spend. The team collaborates with stakeholders across campus to identify and pursue cost savings opportunities. Through the facilitation of RFP processes and strategic management of key supplier partners, the team leverages the University’s buying power to maximize value in support of individual budgets and the overall financial health of Brown.

SPC’s Strategic Sourcing Team Assists Departments With

  • Leading formal RFP processes in managed categories and/or for complex, high spend engagements (or providing guidance to departments on smaller initiatives).
  • Negotiating supplier contracts with favorable business terms and pricing.
  • Providing information about Strategic Suppliers, existing University-wide agreements, GPO contracts, the RFP process, and supplier diversity.
  • Managing Strategic Supplier performance and issue resolution.
  • Identifying and recommending suppliers for inclusion in sourcing initiatives to ensure alignment with university priorities (e.g. supplier diversity, sustainability).

The Strategic Sourcing Team facilitates complex, high contract value formal RFP projects. To request Strategic Sourcing assistance with an RFP project, please complete the Strategic Sourcing Project Intake Form. The information on this form will be used to determine the most appropriate guidance, sourcing strategy, and team member to be assigned to assist you based on factors such as project category and complexity, timelines and resource capacity, level of anticipated spend, and stage of budget approval. 

Strategic Suppliers

Strategic Suppliers (including those for which there is a punchout catalog in the BrownBuys E-Procurement Marketplace in Workday) are those with whom there is a university-wide contract that is actively managed by SPC's Strategic Sourcing Team following a competitive negotiation resulting in favorable pricing and terms. Strategic Suppliers should be utilized whenever possible to aggregate Brown’s spend, optimize value to the University, and ensure alignment with Brown’s requirements and priorities.