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Subrecipient, Contractor/Vendor, Consultant?

How do I determine if the UW’s collaborator is a subrecipient, a contractor/vendor, or a consultant? Each situation is unique & must be reviewed as a whole.
Guidance here can help make a determination between Subrecipient, Contractor/Vendor, or Consultant.

Review Element Subrecipient Contractor / Vendor Consultant
Project / Scope of Work Design Collaborates on design or development UW PI defines
Proposal to UW Sponsor Works on overall proposal Does not work on proposal Advises only, but not as UW employee
Work Performance Substantive programmatic work, significant portion of overall project Incidental to overall project (e.g. “skilled hands/minds”) Expert advice, review or services. Subject matter expert
Goods / Services Not what a subrecipient does Provides similar goods/services to others as part of their business Provides similar services to others
Decision Making Controls method and results of their portion of the project Makes no project decisions
Compliance Must comply with prime award terms Not subject to prime award terms, similar requirements may apply for other reasons
Performance Measurement Measured against meeting the project objectives Tied specifically to contract deliverables, not project objectives Not responsible for progress or overall outcome of project
Publications May create or co-author publications Does not typically create or co-author project publications
Intellectual Property (IP) IP rights detailed in subaward agreement No potential for IP to be created by contractor/vendor Not applicable

Review more information for: