A team of lawyers and contracting experts, VPF Contracts works closely with all areas of the MIT community on procurement contracts that span a wide range of products, services, and industries.
A major component of this team’s work involves working with DLCs and VPF Procurement Operations on contracts for goods and services. The team works to first understand business and research objectives in order to negotiate terms of agreements, with an eye towards protecting MIT’s interests and minimizing risk.
The Contracts team also works closely with Strategic Sourcing when it is initiating a competitive bid or when an existing agreement is up for renewal. It provides advice and expertise in the areas of strategic analysis, negotiation, due diligence, risk mitigation, regulation and compliance, and contract creation and review. The team is available to help negotiate terms and complete agreements, and obtain authorized signatures on contracts.
A key thinking partner to VPF and to DLCs, the Contracts team also engages in large-scale projects of strategic importance to the Institute, providing a thoughtful business perspective to significant contractual relationships. It collaborates with many sectors of MIT, including the Office of the Associate Provost for International Activities (OIA), the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), the Technology Licensing Office (TLO), Information Systems and Technology (IS&T), Human Resources, and others, as it guides contractual relationships toward solutions that balance both departmental business needs and the Institute’s broader mission and goals.