UW Research
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:
- Preparing proposal budgets that include subawards, vendors, and consultants
- Setting up outgoing subawards
- Setting up collaborations with consultants