The UW Supplier Registration Form is an IRS Substitute W-9 for U.S. domestic suppliers doing business with the University. Please have your current W-9 and other business information available to complete the form.

Note: For non-U.S.-based (foreign) suppliers, see our Foreign Supplier Purchasing webpage. A UW department contact must initiate the Foreign Supplier Registration Form request to the supplier.

Need help? Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to fill out the Supplier Registration Form and see our For Suppliers page for more information.

Begin the Supplier Registration Form process

When Supplier Registration Form (SRF) is Needed

  • New suppliers receiving first payment from UW
  • Suppliers were previously registered with UW but have had their information deleted due to lack of use for two years or more
  • Suppliers have a change in business name (including changes to DBA or Remit To names), ownership or taxpayer ID number

Note: Registered UW suppliers who are regularly paid by UW and have an address change/addition do NOT need to submit the Supplier Registration Form; suppliers should contact VControl@uw.edu directly with a copy of their W-9 and explanation for the adjustment to addresses currently on file with UW.

Some entities are generally not eligible to be suppliers to the university - See the Additional Information section below.

Supplier Onboarding Timeline

Steps 1-3 must be completed before any payment can be made to a supplier. Because the full process involves multiple parties and UW process partners, the complete onboarding process can be as short as 1-2 weeks, but may also take 5 weeks or more.

1. Supplier Registration Form (SRF) Submission

Submit the Supplier Registration Form (SRF) utilizing the link above - 10 minutes to complete

  • UW Vendor Control will review the information within three business days.

2. Taxpayer ID Number (TIN) Verification

UW verifies the supplier's submitted Taxpayer ID Number (TIN) information (EIN or SSN) with the IRS database. It is imperative that the information provided to UW on a Supplier Registration Form matches EXACTLY with how it appears on the supplier's income tax return submitted to the IRS (refer to the instructions on the IRS website). UW must hold all payments until the correct TIN information is received and confirmed as matching IRS files without exception, as any inconsistencies may result in IRS penalties.

  • Taxpayer ID Number (TIN) verification is completed weekly, typically by Thursday.

3. Electronic Payment Enrollment

Electronic payment options are selected within the Supplier Registration Form on Step 7; instructions are sent the day after the form is processed. The University of Washington's preferred payment method is by bank payment card, also known as ePayables, through Bank of America; read more on the ePayables page. The alternative payment option is ACH (Automated Clearing House) payment; read more on our ACH page.

  • * Enrollment time is dependent on the supplier response to instructions sent from UW Vendor Control; ePayables takes approximately 10 business days to complete, while ACH can take 3-5 weeks to ensure the security of bank accounts that will receive deposits.
One-Time Check Payment Option

(For suppliers needing a single payment with no continued business)

  • On Step 2 of the Supplier Registration Form: "Are you requesting a single payment with no continued business?"
    • Selecting "Yes" populates explanation: "Making this selection will allow for a single payment by paper check. Once a single payment is processed, your supplier information will be removed from the University of Washington database. Please ensure that you complete Step 7 with the appropriate remittance address for paper check payments."

4. SAP Business Network (also known as Ariba Network) Registration

IMPORTANT: This supplier onboarding step may be required if a Blanket Purchase Order (BPO) is needed.

Suppliers should reach out to their UW department contact(s) to determine if UW will need to issue a BPO. If so, the UW department must complete the Ariba Network Registration Request webform; a Trading Relationship Request (TRR) email may be sent to the supplier to join the Ariba Network. More details available on Procurement Services' Ariba Network webpage.

  • * Enablement time is dependent on the suppliers' response to the emailed Trading Relationship Request and completion of enablement steps; can be completed in as short as three business days

Additional Information

Current or recently separated employees are typically not eligible to be suppliers to the university. Suppliers must disclose and departments should ask about previous UW employment or affiliation history prior to doing any business, and use the resources available to help make a determination for employment or supplier status, like the Tax Office's training materials. Policies describing eligibility for supplier status are also described in APS 32.3 as well as EO 32.

The UW Supplier Registration Form process is distinct and separate from the Washington State WEBS registration requirement; for more information on WEBS registration, please visit our Solicitation Process webpage.