UC Santa Cruz Procurement Results 2026
UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz Achievements by Strategic Pillar
Economic and Community Impact
Leading in Small Business Spend While Delivering Record Campus Savings
UCSC paired strong small-business participation with a campus-record $11.12 million in Benefit Bank savings.
Challenge
UC Santa Cruz needed to keep small-business spend high while still delivering Benefit Bank savings, using both sourcing results and process innovation.
Approach
Through June 2026, UC Santa Cruz directed 24.4% of campus spend, or $40.4 million, to small and diverse suppliers, exceeding the 25% goal in multiple months. Procurement also delivered a campus-record $11.12 million in Benefit Bank savings against a $10.47 million goal. UC Santa Cruz Accounts Payable also processed more than $6 million in OneCard payments during FY26.
Early Result
Innovation complemented these results: UC Santa Cruz and Berkeley partnered with JAGGAER on emerging AI tools, while a student capstone developed automated policy analysis using 52,000 prior-year OneCard transactions.
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Related Annual Report pillar page
Why it matters
Increases local and diverse supplier participation while delivering campus savings and measurable progress toward UC’s 25% supplier-diversity goal, benefiting both the campus budget and local economy.
| At a Glance |
|---|
| 24.4% Campus spend directed to small and diverse suppliers through June 2026. |
| $40.4M Spend directed to small and diverse suppliers. |
| $11.12M Campus-record Benefit Bank savings against a $10.47 million goal. |
| 52,000 Transactions Prior-year OneCard transactions used for automated policy analysis. |
| $6M+ OneCard payments processed by Accounts Payable during FY26. |
Strategic Partnerships
UCSC Brings OneCard Amazon Purchasing Under Strategic Oversight
UCSC brought OneCard Amazon purchases into its official Amazon Business account to strengthen pricing, visibility, and guided buying.
Challenge
OneCard Amazon purchases were outside the official campus Amazon Business account, limiting institutional pricing, analytics, and guided-buying controls.
Approach
Beginning in March 2026, UC Santa Cruz required OneCard purchases from Amazon to flow through the campus official Amazon Business account. The managed channel combines institutional pricing, quantity discounts, analytics, and audit visibility with guided-buying controls that prioritize strategic agreements, campus-contracted suppliers, and local, small, diverse, and sustainable options.
Early Result
Procurement supported the migration with training and office hours.
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UCSC Purchasing on Amazon Business
Related Annual Report pillar page
Why it matters
By bringing high-volume marketplace purchasing into a governed environment, UC Santa Cruz is improving compliance and spend transparency while directing buyers toward choices that better support university priorities.
| At a Glance |
|---|
| Managed Purchasing Institutional pricing, quantity discounts, analytics, and audit visibility are brought into one channel. |
| Guided Buying Controls prioritize strategic agreements and campus-contracted, local, small, diverse, and sustainable suppliers. |
Drive Value and Savings
UCSC Payment Plus Expansion Delivers Outsized Returns
A targeted Payment Plus expansion turned a U.S. Bank grant into $1.84 million in spend and approximately $35,000 in rebate revenue.
Challenge
Payment Plus enrollment needed more capacity than staff time allowed. A U.S. Bank grant funded a student intern to target suppliers and automate analysis.
Approach
With a $26,520 U.S. Bank grant supporting a student intern, UC Santa Cruz expanded Payment Plus through data-driven supplier targeting and automated analysis. The team reviewed roughly 2,048 potential suppliers, narrowed the list to 244 high-value candidates, and enrolled 61 suppliers in nine months.
Early Result
Those enrollments generated $1.84 million in Payment Plus spend and approximately $35,000 in rebate revenue, already exceeding the initial project investment. UC Santa Cruz also built a pipeline of 183 additional suppliers, creating a scalable model for continued rebate growth with limited staff workload.
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UCSC’s Payment Plus Project Delivers Outsized Returns
Related Annual Report pillar page
Why it matters
Generated $1.84M in program spend and ~$35K in rebates from a small grant-funded effort, demonstrating a high ROI and a scalable model to grow rebate revenue that can be reinvested in campus priorities.
| At a Glance |
|---|
| 61 Suppliers Enrolled in Payment Plus within nine months. |
| $1.84M Payment Plus spend generated through enrolled suppliers. |
| ~$35K Rebate revenue generated. |
| 183 Suppliers Additional suppliers in the pipeline. |
Continuous Improvement
Modernizing Procure-to-Pay Through CruzBuy
UCSC brought Direct Pay, receiving, and invoice processing into CruzBuy to reduce manual handoffs and speed transaction closure.
Challenge
Direct Pay, high-value receiving, and invoice processing sat in separate tools. UC Santa Cruz needed those steps in CruzBuy, with less email and DocuSign handling.
Approach
UC Santa Cruz modernized its procure-to-pay process by moving Direct Pay, high-value receiving, and invoice processing into CruzBuy. Payment requests previously handled largely through DocuSign now use a guided workflow; receipt confirmation for purchase orders above $10,000 shifted from email to automation; and invoices moved from Banner into a single system of record.
Early Result
UC Santa Cruz reported that the new receiving workflow typically saves two to three days in transaction closure.
Related Links:
Modernizing Procure-to-Pay Through CruzBuy
Related Annual Report pillar page
Why it matters
Training videos, updated guides, and live webinars supported adoption, reducing manual handoffs while improving auditability, data integrity, vendor visibility, and paper-storage efficiency.
| At a Glance |
|---|
| $10,000+ POs Receipt confirmations shifted from email to automation. |
| 2–3 Days Typically saved in transaction closure through the new receiving workflow. |
OneCard Consolidates Travel and ProCard Into One Program
OneCard brings travel and low-value purchasing into one program, reducing paperwork and employee out-of-pocket spending.
Email Order Management Simplifies Supplier PO and Invoice Handling
Email Order Management gives suppliers a simpler way to view purchase orders and submit invoices without extra system access.
Raising Quote Threshold Streamlines Lower-Dollar Purchases
UCSC raised its quote threshold from $10,000 to $15,000 to simplify lower-dollar purchasing while preserving key controls.
Risk Management
Embedding Cybersecurity Review Before Sensitive-Data Purchases
UCSC moved cybersecurity review earlier in the purchasing process for procurements involving P3 or P4 data.
Challenge
Purchases involving P3 or P4 data could reach CruzBuy before vendor cybersecurity review. Units needed a risk rating in the record before the requisition, including on relevant change orders.
Approach
UC Santa Cruz embedded vendor cybersecurity review at the beginning of procurements involving P3 or P4 data. Before submitting a CruzBuy requisition, units complete a ServiceNow Vendor Risk Assessment and Whistic intake, then Information Technology Services assigns a risk rating that becomes part of the purchasing record.
Early Result
The process also applies to change orders that introduce new technology or artificial-intelligence features, increase the protection level, or materially change data handling.
Related Links:
Related Annual Report pillar page
Why it matters
Designed jointly by Procurement, Business Contracts, and ITS, the workflow strengthens data protection and reduces the likelihood of late-stage security delays.
| At a Glance |
|---|
| P3 / P4 Data Vendor cybersecurity review is required for procurements involving sensitive data. |
| Change Orders Included Review also applies when relevant technology, AI, protection levels, or data handling change. |
| Joint Workflow Designed by Procurement, Business Contracts, and ITS. |
Clarifying Covered Transportation Purchasing With TAPS and HR
A clarified routing process helps UCSC departments handle covered transportation purchases with the right TAPS and Contracting Out steps.
Challenge
Covered transportation purchases were unclear. Campus and under-100-mile bus trips needed a TAPS right-of-refusal step, then Contracting Out if TAPS could not support the trip.
Approach
UC Santa Cruz Procurement and Human Resources clarified how departments purchase covered transportation services. Specified campus and under-100-mile bus trips must first be referred to Transportation and Parking Services for right of refusal; when TAPS cannot support the need, the request proceeds through the Contracting Out process.
Early Result
Covered and non-covered trips must be submitted separately.
Related Links:
Related Annual Report pillar page
Why it matters
The shared routing model translates labor and covered-services requirements into a clearer operational process, helping departments use internal capacity appropriately and reducing the risk of misrouted or noncompliant requests.
| At a Glance |
|---|
| TAPS First Specified campus and under-100-mile bus trips go first to Transportation and Parking Services. |
| Contracting Out Requests proceed through the Contracting Out process when TAPS cannot support the need. |
| Separate Submissions Covered and non-covered trips must be submitted separately. |